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Anyone as big of an AMAZING RACE fan as me??? I'm loving the hippies on this season.  I'd like to see them win, but I worry that the frat boys will take the winnings.  Mo Jo probably won't make it to the final 3!!! Then again, Ray and Yolanda have a good chance on getting the million too!  They have played fair and are so competitive.  It wouldn't suprise me if they ended up with the winnings!!  Tune in Wednesday to see.

I'm losing my mind from transcribing for a stutterer.  Ugh!  I lose an enormous amount of line count with him, due to his stuttering.  Thinking about typing everything he says, including the stuttering, and sending it through in order to make my line count.  I'm sure this wouldn't be considered professional or acceptable to the client or QA, but I need to be able to pay my bills.  What's the experience of you guys?

I have to say, I am sooo glad it's Friday. This week has been just awful; whatever could go wrong, did go wrong; dang you Murphy's Law!!!

Let's pray that next week is better...hoping for a good weekend!

Does anyone here know how to:

Print a physicians' list from Ctrl-A in alpha and by specialty?

Print the contents of an ESP file?

Thank you in advance.

subscriptions.  I have a free trial right now and was worried I wouldn't have the whole $99 after my trial, but I can buy a subscription and save for another month!  That's so cool!  I didn't know they did that.  Didn't know if others knew, so thought I'd share. :)

Chickadee

does anyone know of this company?  Do they offshore?  Has anyone ever worked for them??

Any info that someone could provide to us would be greatly appreciated.

I need to figure out a way to hook up two computers to one monitor and one DSL connection where I can just easily switch back and forth between the two computers.  I know this has been discussed before, but I can't remember how you all do this.  If someone could explain what I need to get and what I need to do, I would be very appreciative.  Thanks for any and all info you can give me. 

I may have an opportunity to work for a company that uses this program. If you have used this, I would like to know what you think of this program, etc. I have worked in DQS and I liked it as it was very user friendly. If you have had experience with each of these programs, I would really appreciate the pros/cons, comparison of each as well.

Thanks so very much.

As you can clearly see I have already posted this message below, but I didn't get any responce.  I would REALLY appreciate any advice that I can get from anyone who is either looking into coding or is already in the business. 

 I am currently a Transcriptionist at a hospital and I am really interested in getting into the coding business.  I was just wondering if there are any of you out there who have made this transition and if you have any tips or warnings for me.  Any advice is appreciated. 

I am able to connect fine to my dial-up ISP. I have not been able to receive/send any E-mail from Outlook Express today at all. I can receive the mail from that account through my Yahoo web site and am able to go to what is callled Mailstorm, through my ISP, where junk mail is filtered and so everything works fine that way. Any ideas on what the problem could be?

I have contacted my ISP via E-mail but have not received a response yet so that makes me wonder if there is not an issue on their end.

Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated.

Please tell me if I am wrong.  I told my husband that I need an ergonomic keyboard now as my hand and arm have been sore and achy recently.  I am going to do whatever I can to avoid CTS.  Well, bills are tight, of course.  The thing is I asked him IF we can swing it anytime soon, can we get one.  Here's the thing:  I take $100 out of my paycheck every 2 weeks for spending money, i.e. going to lunch with friends, w/ my kids mind you.  He tells me to use my spending money to but the keyboard instead of going to lunch.  Okay.  The thing is lunch every couple of weeks is the only time, and I mean only time, that I get to go anywhere due to time/money issues.  HE on the other hand constantly goes to his dad's after work, where all the boys hang out, and comes home after a couple/few hours of hanging out.  That does not bother me.  What bothers me is that he doesn't get that it will always cost money for me to go out because either we pay a sitter or I have to pay for something,  Lucky him that the beer is provided.  Must be nice to have your freedom.  I don't think he really gets how good he has it.  I am the only wife that doesn't give him an earful when he comes home after being out with the guys. 

Am I being a shrew?

Not sure what I do in order to pay taxes or whatever needs to be done.  I'm new to all of this.  Any tips would be appreciated.

I looked at keyboards yesterday and tried them (pretended to type) in the store.  The ones they had with each hand's keys father apart (which is what I thought would be best) were big, bulky, with keys that stuck up too high and just felt awkward.  The one that felt best was smaller ... more in order of a normal keyboard but curved a bit to accommodate more natural hand position.

Do you think this is an accurate assessment of what would work best for me, or would one get more used to the other type?  Are there split keyboards that don't seem so bulky and awkward from the start?

Thanks.  I really want a new keyboard, but I'm afraid I'll buy something I regret.  Just not sure how to tell what's best. 

Hi Everyone!  I am new to this place and need some advice from you at home transcriptionists.  I have been working for a hospital for 8 years now.  I do just some cardiology reports for the department I work in and it is dwindling and I am having to do receptionist and scheduling stuff too which i do not like.  I have been wanting to go home to work forever but have been scared.  The benefits at this hospital are great but I hate my work i am doing right now.  Pluse my hours are 6-2:30 and I have to get my daughter up and take her to the babysitter. 

I got offered a job yesterday from an outside transcription company as basically a subcontractor.  She told me I would be self employed.  No benefits, no taxes (how does that work?)  It would be full time and I would be doing all the other different reports that I have wanted to do plus do other work for the same cardiologists I have been typing for years for.  The big issue- I have a 3 year old and a baby due at the end of July.  I have 8 weeks of paid maternity leave with the hospital.  If I quit-i lose this and will probably only get a couple weeks off possibly unpaid if I start with this new company.  I am very nervous but they need an answer asap because they have several new accounts and need help now.  This is my opportunity to do what i love but the timing sucks with a baby on the way. 

Please help me.  I so badly want to work from home but losing my benefits and my leave is scaring me.  I can go on my husbands health insurance through his work but my maternity leave with be short.  Please give me your opinions.  Thanks a lot!!!!

How many independent contractors here ever been stiffed by a doctors' office when you didn't have a written agreement?  Just did business on a handshake?  What did you do to collect payment or did you ever collect payment?  I'm being stiffed and know I won't take this sitting down.  I worked too long, way too hard.  Invoice is teetering 7K.  Any help/advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

I've busted my butt for eight years and I've paid my dues. When I started, the lady that trained me told me that 16 cents a line was not unheard of.  Now, I'm lucky that my client will pay me 12 cents a line and the lady that trained me? She wanted me to take over one of her clients and would only pay me 6 cents a line. The most that other companies will pay seems to be 8 cents a line. To me, that is a great disservice, especially for those that have twice the years and more invested in this profession.

Is it time to go to another profession? The lack of respect is starting to get to me...

My friend and her boyfriend of 5 years recently obtained custody of the boyfriend's now 7-year old daughter.   You talk about a handful of trouble, that's exactly what has been packaged into this mini sized monster child.

Bear with me because this will be quite lengthy.  I  will call the girl by her nickname, Tater.

Tater was 5 when my friend (S) and her boyfriend (D) started with the custody proceedings.  Every time Tater would come for visitations, she was full of these wild stories that were quite alarming to S and D.  She would come and tell them how her mom walks around the house naked all the time with all of these different boyfriends, how one of those boyfriends held a pillow over her (Tater) face one time, and how Tater and her baby brother were often left alone for hours at a time and sometimes overnight while her mom was out "getting drunk" with her boyfriends.

Naturally, S and D were really upset by these stories and so they got an attorney and really pushed for custody.  They got custody in March 2005 and their life has been a living hell since she has come to live with them. 

Less than a day or so after she moved in, she started telling them how one of her mom's boyfriends "did things to her" so S and D were once again in an emotional fit because they thought someone had molested Tater.   They called a psychologist and the police.  Had her evaluated, everything.  Even had Tater talk to a detective that works child abuse cases.  His findings and the psychologist's findings were the same.  She had not been abused and, in fact, had a severe problem with delineating fact from fantasy. 

Tater now sees the psychologist once per week.  The goal of the treatment was originally to get Tater to understand the difference between telling stories and the truth, along with dealing with the fact that her mother now has absolutely no contact with her.  It's been rough for S and D as well as Tater. 

Things went well for a short time, then school started 3 weeks ago.  Since starting school, S and D have been called to the school numerous times because Tater has either said that she couldn't do her homework because her daddy was "all drunk", that when S dropped her off at school she was "drinking wine from a bottle in the car" (it was green tea in a glass bottle,) and that they don't allow her to talk to her mother, which is not true. Her mother has supervised visitation but chooses to opt out. 

She has told her aunt and uncle that S killed her cat on purpose when it was actually her aunt who accidentally ran over the cat but Tater didn't know that.  She told one of the neighbors that her mommy had her (Tater) picture taken once and was in a naughty magazine because her mom got money for it and Tater would get it when she was old enough.  OMG yet?  Yeah!  This kid is something else.

She also made a little boy cry in class by rudely saying how he was so stupid and slow during outloud reading time.

S and D have tried all of the things the psychologist have recommended, taking her toys, taking her TV, radio, making her write apologies and hand deliver them, and sit directly behind the bus driver (for even more trouble on the bus.)

She also missed the bus home purposely last week because she was going to go to a friend's house.  Her grandmother had to come all the way into town (they live about 10 miles out) to get her.   When D and S questioned her about what she was doing, she screamed at them that it was "HER LIFE" and she could do what she wanted if she felt like it.  Remember folks, this kid turned 7 last month!

Now, a few minutes ago, S called me in tears.  She got another call from the school because Tater had told some of the boys that another boy was threatening her and making her scared (which was a lie) so she wanted them to do something about it.  These 3 little boys proceeded to gang up on the other boy and he was hurt.  Not seriously but that he was hurt is bad enough.  These 3 boys and Tater are now suspended.  These are first graders and this is a very small town.

S and D are ready to snap.  I don't know what else to tell her.  The psychologist told S and D that she was afraid that Tater had multiple personality disorder but couldn't make that diagnosis on a definitive basis because, as of yet, there are no clear cut documented cases in children of this age.  They usually don't start developing these tendencies until they are in their mid to late teens. 

I have looked online for any kind of research or specialists that can deal with this but it's very difficult to find information even on pre-adolescents that are out of control. 

I am asking for your help.  If anyone knows of a professional or group that can help S and D with Tater, PLEASE post here ASAP.  At this point, I'm very concerned about THEIR well being. This kid is a serious danger.  There is much more but I think I have told you enough already.   We are in Washington State too, just in case anyone has any ideas where to go for help.

Thank you so very much if any of you can help.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. doctors increasingly have access to computers to look up information on their patients, but more than half still don't have digital health records or the ability to write electronic prescriptions, a study released on Wednesday found.

Twenty-two percent of doctors surveyed by the Center for Studying Health System Change last year had access to electronic prescription tools compared with 11 percent in 2001.

About half can use computers to access notes on their patients or exchange data with other doctors, up from about 37 percent and 41 percent, respectively, four years earlier.

"Despite substantial growth rates ... many physicians still lack access to practice-based clinical information technology (IT)," said study co-author Marie Reed, who manages data for the independent policy research group.

Overall, a higher percentage of doctors said last year they could use technology to find out about recommended treatments and patients' medications, as well as share information with other physicians.

The study comes as a U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee prepares to consider legislation on Wednesday that would create guidelines to help hospitals, doctors and the government share patient records.

All Americans are supposed to have electronic health records by 2014 under a goal set by

His administration has funded the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology but has otherwise relied on private industry to spur wider use of information technology in the health sector.

Some critics say the federal government should take a greater role, offering tax breaks and other incentives as well as requiring U.S. agencies to make greater use of electronic health data.

"In general, major barriers to physician adoption of clinical IT include start-up and maintenance costs, as well as the significant effort and costs of changing workflow to effectively use IT," the study said.

Researchers surveyed more than 6,600 doctors in 2005 and about 12,000 in 2001. The did not ask doctors whether they actually used the technology in their everyday practice.

About 65 percent of doctors last year said they could look up information on treatment guidelines compared with 53 percent in 2001. Twenty-nine percent said they used technology for reminders about preventive treatments for patients, compared with just under 24 percent in 2001.

The Center for Studying Health System Change, which receives most of its funds from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation philanthropy, said promoting digital health data may encourage more doctors to go high-tech.

Until then, the slow adoption rates "suggest that physicians as a group have not yet reached a tipping point in the adoption of IT for most clinical activities," it said.

I'm applying for jobs, and I received an offer for one job that says they pay 8.5 cpl and 3 cpl for template lines.  It goes on to say that  a template is defined as a group of words or phrases that is automatically inserted into a report after an abbreviation has been dictated.

Does this mean that anything I put out through my word Expander is going to be counted at 3 cpl?  Is this a common practice with more companies - it never used to be?? 

It seems like there is more job security in court reporting -- and much better money.  I'm really thinking of getting out of medical transcription... just so tired of getting paid less and less to do the same job.  I was just laid off a great in-house job and I am really wondering if transcription is right for me anymore.  

rear end to get me to work. I go on a week long vacation starting Saturday with no kids and today I did about 1/4 of my normal lines and that might be padding it a little bit. I was too busy looking at pictures of where we're going. Did I mention no kids are going with me?

Before I get comments about why'd I have kids if I'm so happy they're not going to be there. I have 3 teens who act 65, two 13yo, 12-year-old and a 2-year-old. Three are hitting puberty and one just hit the terrible 2's. It will be our first vacation w/o kids in a long, long, long time. After only 3 days here my mom is asking why I'm not bald already from pulling my hair out. Now if work could just pay me to sit and look at pictures all day and daydream, I'd have it made.

Hello:

I have a question about the Emdat software.  Regarding the cc: box, sometimes, you have to type in the address, because the address is not in the database.  I have found that when you try to pause the audio with either the foot pedal or the "F" key assigned to pause while typing the address, the audion will not pause; it keeps on playing.  You should be able to pause the audio while trying to type the address into the database.  Anyone else notice this, anyone?  Thank you kindly.

because I've typed he instead of she or his instead of her.  It drives me crazy!  I always pass with at least a 98%, but I'm always making this mistake and I feel like an dunce every time I see it on paper!

I know how it happens.  I'm just not paying attention and I'll just forget its a he or a she or I'll forget what patient I'm on and think I'm still on the "the lady with the pelvic pain..." and type she when really it's a he.

Anybody have any suggestions to help me remember my genders?