AHDA and Indian Transcription
Posted By: cj on 2008-08-21
In Reply to:
After seeing a lot of posts here about how MTs in India get a "better deal" from AHDI than those us here in America do, I went ahead and wrote to them asking about this. This is what I received back from them. I thought many of you might like to see it.
Transcriptionists in India do not receive any special pricing or privileges that our American members don't receive. In fact, Indian MTs who wish to be practitioner members of AHDI pay exactly the same price - $135 per year - but DO NOT receive our publications, Matrix or Plexus, in the mail like our American MTs do. Because of the exorbitant cost of shipping outside of the US, those members only receive our magazines electronically. We also do not ship complimentary certificates or CMT lapel pins to the individuals who pass our exam in India. If they want a lapel pin, they must pay for the pin as well as the shipping fee. This is not because we intend to discriminate against them in any way - it is purely due to the economics of enduring the International mail system.
The decision to change the name of the organization from AAMT to AHDI was made by the members of the House of Delegates (HOD). These are volunteers elected by the membership. The HOD felt it was important to broaden the name of the organization to include anyone working in healthcare documentation - as many transcriptionists are working in peripheral roles as editors, QA personnel, supervisory and management positions, educators, etc. Speaking for myself, I haven't transcribed a medical report for pay in at least 5 years, so calling me a medical Transcriptionist no longer encompasses my role. Nonetheless, I am passionate about the integrity of healthcare documentation - and I developed this passion as an MT. For me, AHDI is a better representation of where I fit in.
I can assure you that this organization is absolutely committed to protecting the integrity, quality, and safety of our American citizens' healthcare records. But please don't be naive about the risks that exist right here in our own country. We both know there are plenty of "imposters" calling themselves transcriptionists here in the US. These are people who are not properly trained in this field but who have access to medical records. As a patient, I worry less about WHERE my records are being transcribed, and more about WHO is doing the transcription. I would opt for a qualified CMT in India handling my records over an unqualified individual transcribing from their dining room table with little experience and no security - where anyone could walk into their "home office" and access my information.
In 2005 we launched a campaign called "Have you Read Your Medical Record." This was our first attempt to educate the public about the importance of accurate information in their medical records. You will likely hear about further efforts coming from AHDI along these same lines - as we truly believe that not enough attention is being paid to the QUALITY of the information going into our records. In fact, we believe so strongly in this issue of integrity that we incorporated it into our new name - the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.
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Indian Association for Medical Transcription?
I hear you. It is to bizarre to see that the only way AAMT can continue to exist is because of their financial support from the Indians - HELL-O - last I checked wasn't it American Association for Medical Transcription? Ok, let's see, maybe if I transcribe work for France I can get certified there even though I live here, no I think the Australia sound better, oh wait... I like Thailand, maybe I can .....
Followup for AHDI and Indian transcription
As promised, this is the new response I got from AHDI regarding the special pricing for certification exam from AHDI.
EVERYTHING BELOW IS A QUOTE FROM AHDI
I believe that information comes from a dated press release that was sent out by our testing company, Prometric, when the exam went live in India. That is the correct price being offered on the exam there. However, we also offer that very same rate here in the US when we run promotions like our current Credentialing Cup. In addition, at least quarterly we offer this discount on our exam to individuals who do not want to participate in the Credentialing Cup. (If you're interested, you can read more about the Credentialing Cup at http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/CredentialingCup08.cfm. This promotion is our attempt to engage US transcriptionists and encourage them to become credentialed. In India, transcriptionists sit for this exam because they WANT to earn the credential - not because it necessarily pays them more money. We simply don't see this attitude often here in the US. MTs here only seem interested in certification if it is going to directly impact their wallets. I can understand that - having worked for many years as a production MT and watching my line rate slowly erode - but someone needs to take the first step toward professionalizing this industry. MTs need to learn to speak with their feet. If they get credentialed and they engage in continuing education, then there is no reason why they should settle for working for an employer that does not recognize the value they bring to their position. There ARE companies paying more for CMTs. We add them to a growing list every time an MT reports one to us. Check out: http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/whocarescert.cfm.
I don't blame the transcriptionists in India for our falling wages here in the US. Linda Kloss, CEO of AHIMA, gave a presentation at our annual conference a few weeks ago. She showed us a graph that detailed the profit margins for hospitals over the last several years. It was shocking to see how financially stable hospitals have been pushed out of business. Hospitals that once had huge profit margins are now operating in the red. The rising cost of healthcare and shrinking reimbursements from insurance companies are, in my opinion, the primary drivers behind the drop in wages for MTs. Hospital CFOs see medical transcription as a COST. They don't understand that documentation is the beginning of the revenue cycle, and that medical transcriptionists are the first line of defense for risk management. Many CFOs fall prey to technology vendors who promise that their widget will eliminate transcription, so they buy into expensive technology solutions like templates and speech recognition only to find that it costs them even more in the long run, and their documentation is now substandard. Hospitals aren't making money, transcription services are no longer making money, and, therefore, medical transcriptionists are also struggling.
One of our primary goals at AHDI is to raise awareness about the vital role that medical transcriptionists provide to healthcare. We are lobbying (literally, in Washington DC) to bring attention to the need for accurate, timely, efficient documentation. We are making the case for keeping a human professional involved in the documentation process in order to ensure quality record keeping and impact patient safety.
It's unfortunate that people misunderstand the goals of our association and automatically assume that we do not support US MTs, or that we only want to make money off of MTs. That is so completely far off from the truth. One-fourth of the staff at AHDI have worked as medical transcriptionists. We are passionate individuals who are extremely devoted to our profession and our colleagues in this industry. And we need the help and support of every single MT in this country if we're going to turn this industry around.
Agree, verbatim transcription equals poor quality transcription.
x
Indian?
What does him being indian have to do with anything?
Indian MT
I don't believe you for 1 second. Indian work is NOT SUPERIOR to what is done here. A few of them are doctors, but most are not. They get the medical terminology, but their American English is horrific. Very few of the Indians who do MT trained over here or in Europe. They completed medical school here in India, which is a very abbreviated compared to US or Europe training.
The Indians are enticing American companies to invest and train MTs over there, working at next to nothing, so that when they have captured a significant percentage of the market, they will jack up their rates and the hospitals and clinics here will have to pay because they have driven out all the US MTs by not paying us living wages or giving us decent paid time off, benefits, etc.
People like you are cutting your own throats in the long run.
I am an excellent MT, QA 100% for 15 years, never miss work unless there is a death in the family. My income has gone down steadily over the past 3 years because of the greed of MTSOs. I am leaving this job shortly. I look forward to the day when you bleed to death from the Indian MTSO who will put you out of business.
Indian pay
I am not privy to a lot of info about this, but I can tell you my experience. When I lost my contracted work to a couple of small hospitals that went with India, the administrator told me they went with India because they were doing away with lines. India took 6 of my last invoices and averaged the pay and gave the hospital 2/3rds off!! Mind you, I was only charging them 11.5 cents per line!! She then told me that the offshore company would pay their Indian transcriptionists $2.00 an hour.
Indian......
I am an Indian MT working from home and I read your post. Indian MTs are not bad, they are best. The only thing you need to do is get to a real good one rather than just these newbies who just want to make some quick money and do not have enough experience. Get in touch with some experienced one and you will them superior when compared to other MTs. I myself have been working for 8 years now and i know what it takes to be an MT to prdduce a good accuracy consistently.
Indian......
I am an Indian MT working from home and I read your post. Indian MTs are not bad, they are best. The only thing you need to do is get to a real good one rather than just these newbies who just want to make some quick money and do not have enough experience. Get in touch with some experienced one and you will find them superior when compared to other MTs. I myself have been working for 8 years now and i know what it takes to be an MT to produce a good accuracy consistently.
Indian MTs
From what I have heard, you are on the money and it is so ironic because as American MTs we are not allowed to make any mistakes at all. We have to have this impeccable quality of 98% and above to stay employed. We have to abide by these high standards painstakingly so patient care is not compromised by an inaccurate medical record. Is this a double standard (no pun intended)? Are they not lowering the bar when an MT is paid considerably less money and their profits are thus enhanced in the process?
This is a no brainer and we all know it is about the almighty dollar and not just about patient care.
Indian.
Indian English is not the same as American or British English. Somebody please tell that to the Indians!
Are you Indian?................nm
nm
You are Indian
You Are Indian
I'm hardly Indian...
...and hardly a troll...I'm pure born-and-bred Texan through and through.
As I said, take my advice or leave it. In the meantime, keep putting money into the pockets of all those money-grubbing MTSOs. I sure won't contribute to them...nor do I have to do so.
You SHOULD be able to tell by my writing style that I am certainly not Indian or foreign in any way, shape or form.
Know AIM transcription system, never heard of Hull transcription. Are you sure
you are not thinking about DHull who is a recruiter for MDI-FL? They use the AIM system.
Indian workers
I was obvious they were Indian workers from Indian..Every one of them that I talked to had an Indian accent..I have nothing wrong with American workers with accents..but I called at least eight people to get my internet account straightened out and all had Indian accents..Come on now, I cannot believe eight people are of Indian descent all working at the billing department of my internet account..If you are American of first descent and working IN America, more power to you..if the account is sent overseas, I have a major problem with that..and if you dont have a problem with that, contact me in a few years when our jobs are overseas.
I never said I hire Indian MTs
...but I can't wait to see you bleed to death by your own hand, either.
Thanks for driving us away from American MTs though.
I fought against offshore heavily. What did you do?
Bitter, bitter, incompetent MTs.
Is that still Indian owned by Jay?
NM
Oriental and Indian
x
Indian and Pakistani, although (sm)
When I first started this account, there was one doctor who was so awful I was sure I'd never understand him. His dictations are usually very short, which you think would have helped. However, his speech is so bad, I could only make out a few words. After begging my sup for help and getting samples, I now love him! Now that I know what he is saying (even though he doesn't always make sense), I can breeze through them. And.....sometimes he even thanks us at the end of a shift. This is what he said today after the last report....."
Thanks for the help. Happy Holidays . I’ll be here back again Monday. Thanks for the help. God bless you". I wish he knew how much that is appreciated.
Indian Company
Having been a part of an office of six transcriptionists who lost their job to a local service who has "allegedly" sent work to India, I would rather have been let go due to voice recognition. That would not have hurt so bad. The work that was returned from the service had mistakes that I would think were typical of those from inexperienced typists!
CMT (Indian MTs have discount)
Sadly, I am slowly moving from lower middle class to poverty level since pay cuts as a full-time MT.
After numerous requests for some kind of help toward paying for the certification, I am told by AHDI (AAMT) discounts are not even being considered in the near future.
With the future so bleak for the future of MT, I am not sure why I should put out all that money. I am bringing home less than $300/week after taxes and health care...? How do I justify the $287 or so cost, when I have my utilities threatened to be shut off every other month for simply just not having the money...
For me, I do not have a partner who supports me. Am I the only one in this boat?
Only know its an Indian company.
NM
The MT that defends Indian MTs
that steal our jobs is jumping up and down telling someone else not to type for free. Ironic.
Indian people
I don't want to generalize, but most of the Indian people I have worked with over the years have been really nice and helpful. My internists are a husband and wife team from India. He wears a turban and everything. If they have contempt for me and my western ways, I sure don't know it.
I think the reason our records may be unsafe going to India is not because the Indians are not to be trusted, but because our companies pay them slave wages. Legally, I have never understood why minimum wage laws do not extend to overseas contractors, but they do not.
Sadly, most transcriptionists here in the U.S. have seen their salaries decrease. I'm an excellent transcriptionist/editor and very conscientious, but I'll admit. I don't try quite as hard as I used to. For example, I used to routinely make phone calls to double check dictation, but I no longer do that. I can't afford it.
Consider that the average Transcriptionist in India makes a fraction of what we do and how demoralized it is when that transcriptionist is professionally trained, such as doctors who routinely work as transcriptionists in India. There is the potential for huge bitterness and frustration. They don't have the choices we do. They're stuck. I'm not excusing immoral and illegal behavior, but I can understand someone who is paid very little who has no choices acting desperately.
To me that is why offshore workers should be paid more. People who are paid so little work less well. I think that most pay rates for U.S. transcriptionists are just barely enough to keep the workforce conscientious.
Cindy
East Indian . . and they are
Sometimes, when they let an Indian speak
on TV, you might have noticed that Indians pronounce 'that' as 'dat'.
I know NOTHING about Ebonics, have never heard it.
Is saying 'I aks' instead of 'I ask' also Ebonics?
Kinda? What's that? Indian?...nm
nm
Why are you on THIS board..i thought there was one for Indian MTs?
x
at least they aren't Indian telemarketers. nm
nm
Wonder what they charge the Indian MTs to take the test
Considering the high cost of taking the test, which probably works out to like a year's salary to an Indian family, I wonder if Indian MTs are charged less than Americans to take the exam, even proportionately?
It is hard to imagine how any American MT could justify membership in this organization. Not only are they not helping us, they are undermining us further.
Zydoc is an Indian company. nm
x
They are an Indian company and they doc you for your errors.
xx
must have dealt with Indian MT companies before you LOL
don't sweat the small stuff - it's Friday!!
I, too, edit Indian files ; they are getting better! sm
While sometimes there is something funky, I have to say that they are getting better and better all the time. When they first started on the account, yeah, they were bad; however, it has only been about 4 to 5 months and have improved 10 fold.
Jay is Indian and located in Herndon...nm
Has anyone given any thought to Indian companies SM
taking over transcription completely?
I am in fear my large company will be Indian-owned before the year is over.
Any thoughts on this?
Indian owned companies... sm
Have you ever worked for one? I have. All the easy work goes to India. The junk comes to the US-based MTs. I worked there for 2 years until I could take no more. Should have walked out on training. If you want an Indian-based company so badly, go for it. I can tell you first hand, though, you will eventually regret it. No offense intended, but I have lived it and will NEVER work for an Indian-owned company again, even if I have to leave transcription and go back to the office, God forbid!
I have heard that Indian MTs complain
that the Indian MDs don't talk right (with the same regional accent they have), and they have trouble understanding them! It's a big country, I suppose.
:o{
So you are angry at Indian MTs and not the greedy
xx
I would like to edit Indian work
what companies hire you to edit work from India? I have never been without work, but would be interested in doing some of this editing. If you know of companies, please post them. thanks
Indian MT said he applied to co. with fake
x
If Indian so honest, why using resume not his
x
Email from an Indian to do my work
I received the following email today and I am not sure what to do with it. Should I report this to someone? I would give my work to someone in the US before someone overseas! gesh!
Here is the email below:
"Hi, i am monank from india, i have 6years of expirence i can help you to increase the line count, you can send me little bit of workevery day i will do that for you,you can pay me 5 cents per line & rest of the moeny will be your profit, in this way you can make more money."
If I wanted to "make bucks" I'd use Indian MTs
Yeah... I'm rolling in the dough.
lol
Go with your gut, Patti - my gut is turning and screaming Indian - sm
but then again, it could just be increased peristaltic activity... but I doubt it
have you ever edits Indian work? You'll never be out of a job.
nm
AAMT is not for Amercan MTs, it is for those indian wannabees.
x
Does anyone know if Indian MTs are paid by the line or by the hour? sm
That's something I have been curious about. I know the MTSOs charge by the line, but was wondering how they pay the MTs. I recall various articles about all the benefits they had, free medical, etc., even food.
Indian and Pakistani. Love the Orientals! nm
s
yes, they are indian and they are losing employees left and right sm
so i'm sure they will have lots of openings to fill.
Spheris Indian MTs are allowed to work
xx
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