Contact the clients you transcribed for
Posted By: That's what I would do. on 2008-07-10
In Reply to: Scam companies - Lindsay
n/m
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- Scam companies - Lindsay
- Contact the clients you transcribed for - That's what I would do.
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I would contact the bank, stop the auto debits, contact the lender...
Contact the lender, explain that you stopped the payment because of financial difficulty. Ask if they have a hardship plan. You probably have a 20-day grace period on your loan payment, (they report to credit bureaus when 30 days late) and you probably also have a grace period on your insurance. In the meantime within those 20 days of grace, FIND A WAY to make some cash. It seems, at least from my experience, that when you get behind, it is almost impossible to catch up. If you use next month's check to pay last month's bills, you never get out of the hole. I've been in that downward spiral and I understand what you're going through. I've sold things on Ebay, consigned clothing at consignment stores, and worked two jobs just to stay afloat at times. Every little bit helps. It can be done. But don't WAIT, call them today!!
You mentioned the IRS. Try calling the Taxpayer Advocate's Service toll free at 1-877-777-4778. They are independent from the IRS and their function is to help solve IRS problems that cannot be solved through normal channels.
If you have not transcribed using BOS
guidelines that is probably the problem. See which version they are using and get a copy.
and this is how our records are transcribed =(
x
I have not strictly transcribed in about 10 yrs.sm
I work full-time doing medical transcription but I also have other duties that do not involve transcribing so I don't keep up with lines or anything like that; I get paid by the hour. I have worked 3-4 hours in the evenings for one of the national companies for a little over a month but I can't seem to get my line count up. I've only been able to do around 100 lph. I know it will take longer than it would if I worked 8 hours just transcribing. I would like to quit the other job and just work from home transcribing but I'm afraid if I can't get my line count up I won't be able to maintain my current income. I'm not a blazing fast typist, I probably type 75-80 wpm without any kind of expanders. Any helpful advice or encouragement on whether you guys think at my typing speed it is within reason to think I can make it to 150-200 lph? I've done straight transcription in the past but I never had to keep up with lines. I have 30+ years of experience. I just need to decide whether to keep things the way they are now or take the chance on income by production only. BYW, I transcribe acute care for the national.
Your transcribed report would be your testimony, if anybody, for whatever SM
bizarre reason decided your input would be needed. Why the heck do you think you'd get called to court?
I got charged $75 for a copy of my old MRs, even though I transcribed it!!! n/m
:p
QA Help: Earlier I transcribed a report where
the doctor used a really offensive curse phrase. He was actually quoting what the patient said (ER report). He said place this in quotes. It was a really ugly thing to say (mother F word). Even though it's in quotes as what the patient apparently said, I felt uncomfortable actually transcribing it. And believe me I'm no prude. I've heard it all (and said some of it). However, it just seemed really unprofessional and not appropriate in a medical document. It's not like it was a psych report. In fact, it really had no relevance whatsoever, in my opinion, but I could be wrong I guess. So, I left a blank. But now I'm thinking, was that really not my call? Should I have just transcribed it? What would any of you out there have done? QA? What do you advise in cases like this? It's happened before but never as filthy as this. 
VA accts transcribed offshore
My first editing job was for a company located in Virginia that has since closed and one of their largest accounts was for a network of VA Hospitals. I always wondered if they (the VA) had any clue that the actual transcription was being done in India.
It is 10 reports transcribed for free.
The OP states the account goes through transcriptionists. I wonder why? The OP states later on in the thread they go through transcriptionists.
I'm trying to protect Lisa from getting abused from the get-go. All she has to say is "my charge is" and go from there.
Too bad if they were already transcribed. Does that mean Lisa should take the loss? NO. Absolutely not.
Again, read above where the OP states "they can't seem to keep a transcriptionist."
To the OP: Charge them! You won't regret it. If you are an IC, you have every right to charge them.
Plus, look at rockinMT's post. She bent over backwards for an account and what happened? It turns out she was spending more time than it was worth.
These are all my opinions, and I am trying to give my opinion on what the OP should do in regards to reports that she transcribed and should, yes, be paid for since she was not aware ahead of time and especially because it is a new account.
What do I know? Ya know? I mean really? Just looking out for the best interest of the OP, but hey, that's just me.
The reports that are transcribed get scanned into
the EMR record. They do the same thing with the lab slips, x-ray reports, etc. The transcription is still performed in the usual way it has always been done.
I have transcribed from handwritten notes
and it was a nightmare. Sometimes the info was missing and my neck hurt like heck looking down and up, down and up. I charged per page. This dr went from dictating to these 5 page forms that he would fill out when he saw the patient. He scribbled and it was horrible. It wrecked my neck, so I gave it up. I was better off straight transcribing at lower pay than when I had to keep looking up and down from a page and no a stand for the forms didn't help because my eyes kept leaving the monitor, so it was hard to get back in gear only to have to take my eyes back to the handwritten form.
MTs by definition are hired to transcribed - sm
what the doctor dictates. We can't be expected to have to catch their mistakes - they're supposed to catch their own. That's why they're being paid the big bucks and we're note. Years back, we weren't expected to know all this stuff -- the meaning of every word we transcribed, the normal/abnormal lab values, what a particular drug is used for, and I could go on and on, and we were paid better, appreciated more & respected more.
I do agree that we must know how to spell medical words and words of English usage. That's what they get for their 7-8-8.5 cents per line. I do NOT believe that we should have to look up doctor's names, on our time, when the dictator has it right in front of him/her and would take him/her only 2-3 seconds to spell it, thus also avoiding any confusion. But I guess that would be too easy.
I didn't always feel this way. Years back, when I was treated as a professional and compensated accordingly, I performed as such. If I want to flag a doc's mistake, I do it for the PATIENT'S sake (but for the grace of God it could be me or a loved one lying in that hospital bed) - and as a courtesy to the doctor. But they really expect too much for too little.
I swear, I just transcribed Bill Cosby! sm
you know that voice that Bill Cosby does, kinda sounds like he's drunk? Well, this doc I just transcribed sounded like that!!! and it's workers' comp, no less. Just had to vent a little! It's still too early for all this! 
Not an MQ employee but have always transcribed via turnaround pool.
The office manager I worked for set it up so they could bill faster, i.e., ERs in 24 hours or less, op notes, discharge summaries, etc. She said it made for a better cash flow for the hospital. That's probably what MQ is trying to accomplish, maybe per client request.
Well, I just transcribed 1500 lines in 3 hours. sm
I work on the same account every day, same dictators, lots of templated reports I did myself and put them into auto correct. I get up early, start at 7 am and today I was done by 10 am. Cleaning the house now. Also, the line pay is slightly higher than most, so 1500 lines is fine for me today.
On harder days when the account is really behind, I get up and vacuum the house after 3 hours of transcribing then come back for 1 hour. If things are caught up, I stop for the day. If not, I will go back in the evening.
I can't sit for 6-8 hours straight. Making $160 bucks in 3 hours is good for me and enough. Tomorrow is another day!
Use templates and short cuts - that will help! I have whole reports in my auto correct, but you have to listen through and change and correct things as each patient is a different case.
I do have to tell you, I do not get this many lines every day in such short a time. It just happened that today was a good day. 
Hope this helps.
copies of previously transcribed reports
What I always found helped, make copies of reports from the medical record charts. Make a few copies of each doctor and keep them in your desk that way you can refer back to the report when doing the doctor. You will get the hang of it. No hospital wants to go through the money and time hiring someone just to let them go right away. Usually you get about a three to six month probation period.
Guidelines are one thing, but if your client wants it transcribed a certain way, just do it.
p
My grandmother transcribed part time into her mid 70s.
,
I am filling out a job app and they want transcribed words per minute.
Thanks.
I have transcribed for doctors in the past who have dictated...sm
that the patient is heterosexual. I'm not much on what is politically correct or not, I just transcribe what the doctor dictates.
Pull up the whole period for which transcribed...see more inside
Say July 1 was the first day and July 14 was the last day - are you able to do a date-specific count? If so, get that on the screen, hit the "Print Screen" button (above SysRq next to Scroll Lock). Then open a Word document or go to Accessories and get either Word Pad or Notebook. Do a control C, which is the Word command for copy. This will copy the whole screen shot into that new document. Go to "file" on the task bar, do a "Save as" and name it what you want, say 07012008to07142008 or something so you will be able to recognize it. This will now give you a document that you can email to their payroll period with a nice little message something to the tune of "WHAT GIVES" or other equally professional question - just kidding, but now you have proof of what your total lines were and a bargaining tool. If you can only do it 1 day at a time, you can still use the screen shot method, but you will have a lot of documents to email if it comes to that.
Be sure to question them verbally by phone first as that might clear up any confusion. If not, then you can tell them YOUR line count and ask why your figures are so different. Just a thought. Good luck!
Meds are not given based on transcribed reports
Meds in hospitals are not given based on what is in transcribed reports. There are so many errors with transcribed material that everyone expects there to be errors in meds, either because it was dictated incorrectly or transcribed incorrectly.
Physicians write orders for drugs, treatments, tests, and procedures. They're in a different part of the record entirely. They're either handwritten or they are in electronic form.
That's not saying there are no medication administration errors, but just saying the likelihood of an error stemming from a transcribed report are almost nil.
"For 30 years, I've transcribed things by what is..SM
correct." This is where the problem is. Do you know that some of the most stubborn, difficult, argumentative, inflexible MTs I have ever met in the course of my career are the ones who parrot that particular sentence?
What was done or has been done for 30 years is not necessarily the correct way now. Language has changed. With the advent of VR, the way we transcribe is now more of a verbatim way than ever.
These 30-year MTs are still adding 's on to Down syndrome, still typing out the word "centimeter" even though it is no longer accepted as anything but line-padding....get my drift?
We're paying 9 cpl and everything transcribed plus spaces is paid for.
/
Depends. Did you just study or have you actually transcribed lots of tapes as sm
part of your training? If you can't put down on your resume that your home study included multiple tapes in many specialties, etc. you are going to be hard pressed to find a good job.
On the other hand, you might be able to type some orthopedics or pt notes (and then at least have some experience to put on your resume.) Orthopedic doctors have TONS of dictation. Besides their clinic notes, etc, most of them do IME (independent medical evaluations) which are fairly easy to do. You'll need some good ortho books to get you started, but most will let you start without the experience if you can demonstrate you know the terminology. Good luck. Get some experience and the doors will start opening REALLY fast for you. Sometimes, taking a low paying job is okay in the beginning just to get the experience. If you can possibly get in a PCP's office to help out with clinic notes (even offering to to backlog/vacation stuff, you will get good experience and your resume will look great for the future stuff that comes up. Good Luck to You. Hang in there and learn everything you can.
Let the docs use their reports transcribed in India as a defense! LOL
The doc can sit there while the personal injury lawyer shows the jury a grieving family and the messed up report.
US MTs should not accept sweat shop wages or conditions. We are providing a service to them! We are their first defense!:) :) :)
If US MTs stoped working for low wages, the physicians who value patient safety and their livelihood would pay a descent wage. The other ones can try to explain the report being done in India to the personal injury lawyer tearing him apart.
IMO, you violated a patient's confidentiality by even posting about this - that you transcribed t
I know you didn't give any personal info, but even mentioning this in a public forum on the "world wide web" - I don't know, I would consider that a violation of medical record confidentiality. I know some may post a sentence or a blooper or something, but this is probably something I would have kept to myself... I am sure you thought what an interesting coincidence when you show the show, but my opinion is you should have kept it to yourself, and if I was the transcription supervisor at your hospital and I found out you had posted on this.... well I would think that would be reason for discipline. No offense meant, just my opinion.
Here is my understanding of conversions of time dictated to transcribed
I was told once that the ratio of dictated to transcribed minutes was approximately 1:4 for an average MT for average dictation. So, if you've been given 300 minutes of dictation it might take you 1200 minutes to finish it, divided by 60 minutes equals about 20 hours. Obviously this is just an estimate and could very depending on a lot of factors, but this might give you some idea.
Another conversion I've heard is that one 65-character line equals 6 seconds of audio and so 1 minute of audio equals 10 lines. So, if you are charging by 65-character line, you may be looking at 3000 lines or so, which when using the above formula would have you typing at about 150 lines per hour for 20 hours, giving you about 3000 lines.
Sounds like this is very doable, typing for 7-8 hours per day if you have until the end of Wednesday. If it has to be back by Wednesday morning, you will have to work 10+ hours per day on it today and tomorrow.
;)
Christine
Thank you for response. :( I figured it was nearly impossible for transcribed lines.
I think my co. wants me to quit...
They don't remove eyes based on transcribed medical reports. SM
Hate to burst your bubble - we're important, but not that important.
I take great pride in doing great work and doing a bunch of it.
To get own clients or not....
I have thought about getting my own clients, but working for a company, if I want time off, I can easily arrange that and know there will be co-workers to cover the accts. If I get sick, the company will find someone to cover the accts. I don't have to worry about the billing, tech support, trouble-shooting, complaints. Maybe someday I will chose to give up what life I have and get my own clients, but for now I like being an IC for a company. This way, I am a great employee and an even better boss.
My clients...
Consist of clinics. They all get 48-hour turnaround time guaranteed, and anything STAT (a TRUE emergent STAT) they need, it's done at no extra charge. Radiology gets four to eight-hour turnaround for obvious reasons. The rest of the clinics don't need a 24-hour turnaround time because let's face it, their staff basically sit on it, and I'm not going to break my neck so they can just sit on it....
Clients
Hello! I'm new to the board but not to MT. I've been working from home for my own clients for 10 years. I wondered if others who do the same have ever experienced a situation I just encountered and wondered what your thoughts were. I had a client whom I transcribed for for two years, then he moved and started back up in his practice and called me and I've worked for him for an additional year in that new practice. When I noticed recently that I hadn't received his dictation as usual, I questioned it, i.e. was he on vacation, did they lose a tape or what? The receptionist said he must not have dictated yet. I found this off as he usually dictates each day he's in the office. A week had gone by w/o work so I called and asked and the same girl said she'd have his wife (who works in the office) call me because she didn't know why there wasn't work, etc. At this point I got suspicious and had asked the recep. if there was something going on I should know about. She said they're working on this new software and maybe they just got behind. New software? I talked to his wife and "I" mentioned this software. She didn't. I asked if this affected my workload and she said 'yeah, probably quite a bit.' I asked if she would please let me know AHEAD of time if they were going to make this transition so I could prepare and plan (she had just made it sound like they were just looking into it and kind of testing it out, NOT that they'd by any means started using it full-time). She said oh certainly they would let me know ahead of time. Then I pressed a little more and finally she told me he'd already been using it for his patients and when I asked if I should replace his work, she said yeah, probably because he really seems to like it and will probably use it. I don't know what the software is but I hate it just because it took a big client from me. But I"m also wondering if this is common practice for a physician just to outright not tell an MT that they weren't going to use their services any more. I mean, not only did they not give me notice beforehand, but they hedged on admitting it when I came right out and asked. I find this incredibly rude and inconsiderate, especially when I've been a faithful MT for them for three years. I"m just dumbfounded at this behavior. Has anyone experienced this? So now that leaves me in the lurch with bills to pay with an already tight budget (hubby in college, two kids, high heat bills, blah, blah, etc.) and me looking for work to fill in the gap. Sorry I ranted and rambled. I'm just really upset by this and wondered if anybody experienced being treated this way and/or knows what this software might be and if it poses a threat to any of us. Thanks so much!
Own clients
This has been discussed many times with many different opinions/ideas. You might do a search as there was quite a heated debate on this about two months ago. I have a brochure that I send out with my card. For those I am very interested in I do stop by in person or if anyone calls inquiring I stop by in person. You have to be prepared with equipment to do tapes or digital and some may inquire about a call in system. You may have to pick up and deliver, provide your own paper. Be prepared to do any type accounts. Your rate will depend on the area you are in and can be anywhere from 11 to 16 cpl from what people say on this board. You have to be prepared to have some back up if you get very sick or have an accident and for vacations. You will not get any benefits, will not getpaid when the doctor takes a month off to go to Spain. It will be a tough go at first until you esablish a rapport with the office staff. But I like it and have been doing it for 18 years. Just did a report and have made 4K more this year than I did last year so things are looking up for me. Good luck. Patti
One of my clients for whom I have done only
tapes for has given me a CD to load onto my computer. I haven't put it on yet but I'm wondering if you all can help. It's an Olympus CD and looks like it's for .wav files which is what he intends. He says I should be able to load this onto my computer and then after that, he can email me voice files. Now, is this correct and what will I need to have in order to play and transcribe his voice files? I have a Bytescribe pedal. Please tell me I won't have to buy a different pedal for this! Thanks in advance for any help!
want to get own clients
Hi Everyone,
I have over 2 years’ experience in medical transcription and really want to get my own client(s). I feel that I am finally ready to take that leap. The question I have is – how do you go about talking to potential clients? What is the best way? Mailings, calling, just going in? Should I make business cards? Unfortunately all of my doctors offices (family, ob/gyn) husband's GI doc and daughter's pediatrician are all EMR. Ugh. So that's no help.
I’m not really afraid of what to charge or contracts, the rest is what has me stressed the most. Should I buy a program like DocShuttle or will they basically tell me what they want? I have been with nationals and small MTSOs alike and just am not sure how to go about everything myself.
You can feel free to e-mail me with any advice also.
I really appreciate the suggestions/help!!!
Getting own clients
I am currently transcribing for GI docs who are using the EMR system, I love it. There is barely any paper for me to handle, I fax everything right from their system to the referring physicians, once in a while I will get a physician who doesn't have a fax and so I need to mail. The final copy goes right into their system. I am currently working from home through my business. They had the equipment installed at my house, fortunately for me, I was with them for four years before I went on maternity leave and have been doing it from home for the past two years.
I also transcribe for ENT docs in my area, before I went on maternity leave I asked them to use my digital phone in system (really didn't expect them to since they were 'set in their ways' but they agreed).
As far as getting new clients, I would get some business cards printed out, and some fliers stating what equipment you will use, i.e. tapes, digital; will you be dropping the finished work off, and also turn-around-time. Then if it were me, I would take these to local doctors, speak with the office manager and offer your services, may be you can start off by offering to cover vacations (I know how hard it is to get coverage for yourself on vacation. You might have to start small and work your way up, but at least it is a start.
Well that is all I can think of, I hope this is helpful to you. Good luck!!
Best way to get clients? sm
I want to market my service in my area. I have gone to offices before in the past, but they sometimes get annoyed. I have also done mailings and get no response. Is there another way to get the OM's attention that maybe I overlooked? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Some clients won't go there
Some doctors have such rotten dictating habits they know running their reports through ASR will result in utter garbage; they have TAT to meet and they know if they take the time to have those reports extensively edited post ASR its just an extra step. Some clients know for them it will be a time and money waster; it is the MTSOs that are pushing for all ASR, not the clients. Many hospitals have tried ASR inhouse and end up scrapping it and going back to MTs. Its a lot like outsourcing in that many people are on the bandwagon, but there'll always be some that refuse to ride it.
Clients have the right to not have an
MT transcribing that reports if that MT continually makes mistakes. Not talking about the ones QA catches, but the reports that are sent straight through without QA and they catch the mistakes on their end and have to send it back. The client I am assigned at my MTSO has said that certain mistakes will not be tolerated and those that make those will not work on their account. They have the right to pull the account from the MTSO if their wishes are not followed by the MTSO.
getting own clients
Does anyone have a sample letter that I can look at to try to get my own accounts? I would really appreciate the help if there is anyone willing. I just need something to get an idea of what to cover in a letter just to get my foot in the door.
Thanks in advance.
I don't have any of my own clients...sm
so I have never had this problem. They said you were no longer transcribing his letters. Does that mean you are still transcribing other types of reports for him or is that the only type of report you did for him?
If the secretary called you before and asked questions about "How often ARE you coming to get work" or something to that effect, then it leads me to believe he was not happy with you for some reason. Sounds like he found someone else to do his work. He could have found someone to do it cheaper, who knows? I hate to hear you lost this client. I know money is tight.
Why not just get your own clients?
Just curious why you would rather subcontract when you could just get your own clients and make more money instead of paying a middle man.
I just heard clients are now
very interesting, indeed.
Finding Clients
I had gotten my previous clients when I worked in a hospital Medical Records Department as an MT. The docs just came to me and asked me to do their work at home. I am going to have a professional letter and business cards made up now to send to local doctors, just anyone in the phone book who looks good, but mostly cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery and orthopedic docs. They seem to have the most consultation letters.
Contracting own clients
It's actually two units attached and working together: A Sony BM-890 microcassette dictator/transcriber and a DTI-800 phone interface. I bought the unit (years ago) for about $1,300.00. The top unit (BM-890) is where you put the tapes in and is like a regular Sony transcriber. (I transcribed the tapes on a separate transcriber, though). The unit gives the doctors the option of pausing and backing up to listen to their dictation and make changes if needed.
Contracting own clients
I agree - to make good money, you need to get your own accounts. My long-time cardiology group account just got EMR with VR, however, so I need to find a new account now. This one was really nice in that the doctors dictated over their phones to my Sony answering system, and then I would just e-mail the completed work back at the end of the day for the office to print it all out there; I never had to do any pickups of tapes or delivery of hard copies. Just wondering now, is this very unusual, or do others here have similar arrangements? Thanks.
None of my clients have no idea what a CMT is...
Seems like they should spend more time/money educating doctors about the mere existence of CMTs instead of rolling out another level of certification.
Ditto! What do clients think when they -
It appears as though the majority of this company's managers don't even know how to type! Must look awful if they use emails to communicate with clients!
I would just tell your clients that you have expanded, now
having 2 branch offices and that all invoices are being generated out of your new office and that is where payments should be made.
One of my clients uses Chartscript
It is a little confusing at first, but once used to it, it is a breeze. You just have to be careful because the system is picky about what it will accept, such as no % signs, but rather spelled out, etc. Not hard. If I can do it, anybody can. :^)
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