Besides padding counts

• Is it possible to pad line counts? - Curious
  • MTSO usually also repeats benefit of padding - in lines billed. They claim ignorance& make $.
    • Could this be the reason padding allowed to - go on? Hhhmm...... nm
    • From above: Repeats = reaps. Time for more - coffee. nm
    • Also, good MTs hard to find. Might be worth - extra cpl, and as above, MTSO also gets more$.
  • I might also add that there are some MTs ... - hospitalmt
  • the service that works on our hospital account definitely pads - hospitalmt
  • Besides padding counts - nana
    • Curious .....were the other MTs - lovewinter
      • Hourly - nana
  • Listen to this one......SM - Old-timer
  • If they have access to how the lines are counted on the back end - see inside - mtgal
  • Yes, I was 1 who saw it done. - Speaking from experience
    • Addendum- that should have been sour grapes, not green! - Speaking
      • Hey, I think you coined a new phrase, green grapes. Love it!! - whorn
    • maybe she was in cahoots nm - :-)
    • I have seen all sorts of things used to pad sm - Lyndia
      • I had a good friend who did it and I found out... and - HolidayMT
        • Well you gave her a fair chance, asked her to stop. It's a shame she didn't take the chance. n - R
          • You know the sad part? - HolidayMT
        • I turned her be..ind in when I found out because threatened with wage cut - Speaking from experience

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like spaces throughout the report to get paid more.  I saw reports at MQ and Sp that had lines of spaces shown on reveal codes between paragraphs where someone either didn't know how to work their expander, was cutting and pasting, or was deliberately padding their lines.

As for typing out abbreviations, I work on an account that doesn't use abbreviations at all.  I use otcx for over-the-counter, etc.

Doc says:  "General. Alert and oriented, no distress. HEENT:  Eyes clear. Lungs:  Clear."

MT types: GENERAL EXAMINATION:  In general, the patient is alert and oriented. The patient is in no distress. HEENT EXAMINATION:  The patient's eyes are clear.  LUNG EXAMINATION:  The patient's lungs are clear.

I kid you not. And there are companies out there that will defend the MT's right to do so. But, would the client's approve of it? I seriously think not.

Per discussion below about 16,000 per pay period, is that one week or two weeks?  I am a small MTSO, IC or whatever and have 4 accounts (6 docs)  plus I work in a clinic to "get out of the house" after an ugly divorce.  I work there 20 to 25 hours plus bring home tapes.  (hourly rate)    On my IC accounts,  though this is per month, I do 32,000 to 34,000 lines per month and put in about 22 hours per week with pick up and delivery, printing, cutting apart chart notes, etc.  So if that 16,000 per two weeks, that could be considered part time but if it is one week, she is a whiz if she does that part-time which I consider under 24 hours a week.

Just my 2 cents worth.

To all transcriptionists:

I am new to MTStars.  I am so glad to see a place where transcriptionists of every kind can blow off steam.   I am a well seasoned profession medical transcriptionist and like so many of you, take pride in my work and profession.  The rash of recent sweeping changes and concerns in our industry have me very concerne as with all of you.   We can no longer afford to sit back and say nothing.  For too long the personality profile of the medical transcriptionist was that of a meek, never-talk-back mouse in the corner who did what she was told.   After all, and I may be dating myself here,  many transcription departments began in the basement of hospitals - you gals remember that?  We were stuffed in corners where storage boxes made their homes!!!

For too long this industry has gone largely unregulated and for too long we did not unionize or gather forces to protect ourselves and our profession as other allied health fields have done.  Because we are a nonrevenue-producing department in the chain of  our healthcare system we are always the first to get cut in budgets.  Yet that medical record is most vital to reimbursements and to the patient.   We now find ourselves wondering if the powers that be care at all.  We are concerned about offshore outsourcing, the shady practices of national transcription companies, and an array of legitimate concerns.    

The medical transcription industry is a multi-billion dollar business.  You bet competition is stiff.  Is it any wonder there are so many scandals right now?

Here's mine concern, for now.  LINE COUNTS!!!!  WE MUST UNIFY OUR EFFORTS FOR ACCURATE LINE COUNTS THAT REFLECT WHAT A MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST ACTUALLY PRODUCES AND WHAT A MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION COMPANY COUNTS.   For too long, way too long, I hear (and have experienced it myself) so many transcriptionists complain and voice their concerns and doubts on what their actual line count may be when they work for a national transcription company.   SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO CLEAR THIS ISSUE AND BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE FOR ALL INVOLVED - TRANSCRIPTIONIST, TRANSCRIPTION COMPANY AND CLIENT.   We are the only industry I know of that puts blinders on its workers when it comes to piecemeal work.  The cable man, the UPS guy, the plumber,  salesman - all know up front what the client gets charged, what their cut is, and what the company charges - Hell, even the farmer workers know up front what they get per basket of strawberries they pick!!!  - CLEAR, UP FRONT.  WHY ARE WE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE THE LINE COUNT UTILITY PROGRAM THAT CHARGES THE CLIENT?  

If we are losing our work to overseas sweat shops, let's address the sweat shops here in the UNITED STATES making  the money.   I believe a forum like this is valuable and long over due - we should list companies that are shady and treat their employees with unfair practices.   There must be a way to address the line count issue on a national level so that it changes, changes to the benefit of all - the transcriptionist, the transcription company and the client.   I say we start by dialogue among ourselves at this site and take it to all transcription companies in a format that engages the dialogue among all concerned.    I'm willing to  invest some time on this issue of importance to all. 

By the way, I don't currently work for a national company - I have been an independent contractor who has just lost 2 hospital accounts to, yeah, you guessed it - INDIA!!!  Hospitals CFO's got a boner when they heard this company can do the work for $2.00 an hour. 

Hey fellow MQMT

Do you realize you're not being paid for spaces.

I just figured that out... Starting to work for the night.

Consideringtypingwithnospacesjusttoseehowtheylikeit.

I would guess as a newbie you would probably average about 100 lines per hour starting out (yes, that's only about $7 or $8 an hour).  This should increase within a few months, but this depends a lot on what kind of work you are doing.  Most company requirements are around 150 lines per hour.  I have 10+ years experience and average about 300 per hour.  

I will also mention that working part time may also hinder the process of speeding up just from the fact that you won't be working as much.   Keep with it though,  the speed will come.  l     

Do you work really fast in short spurts.  Do you sit your butt down and stay planted there till you get all your lines done?  Do you set a goal for yourself each day and not stop till your get it?  Or do you just type for however long you are going to type and are happy with whatever you come out with for that day?  Do you have a goal each day/each pay period, what?  Do you use an expander?  Do you use Smartype or something similar where it finishes words for you?

I seem to have a hard time keeping my happy @ss in my chair! 

My company has their own line count software and you can check your line count as soon as you are finished with a document if you want.  They pay per 65 characters.  I have noticed that they are rounding down the lines.  Say it is 42.49 lines, they drop the .49.  Is this legal?  It seems that we should get paid for the partial lines as they add up over a course of time.  Is this something that is common? 

Thanks in advance for any  info.

There are certainly lousy American dictators also. In fact they are the ones that do not even try to speak clearly, they go 80 miles an hour, eat and drive while dictating, carry on conversations with other people, you name it.

With that being said, I can sympathize with MTs and how time consuming some reports can be. Ya never know what your going to get from one report to another. It's become a very difficult job. Probably a good one to have going into old age as it certainly keeps your mind busy. Some people do jig saw puzzles and some transcribe. I think I would rather transcribe.