Digital handhelds easiest, or a cheap
Posted By: call-in system. sm on 2008-07-21
In Reply to: I need some advice on digital dictation systems - please...sm
You can buy digital handheld recorders at decent prices. If dr. is computer literate, dr. or staff connect to PC and send you files from recorder either through encrypted e-mail or secure FTP site (you'll probably have to set up). Or you could look for a cheap call-in system. Dr. calls it, dictates, and you can transcribe using Express Scribe or another player. A lot of docs like those 'cause they are used to them. You may need a new pedal if yours only works with your current co's platform. Check ebay first or classifieds here even, maybe you can get deal on used equipment to see what dr. prefers.
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
Easiest digital method
Hello everyone
I currently have one of my own accounts with 2 physicians. They use digital hand-held recorders and we email files back and forth, encrypted of course. Anyway, is there an easier way for their office staff? Something where the doctor could talk right into the computer and it would be sent to me without using the office staff? I am trying to take some of the burden off of them.
Thanks.
Lynn
Cheap digital hand helds vs expensive ones
I want to get my doc to switch to digital instead of tapes. I need to know what the difference between the expensive handhelds and the cheap ones at radio shack is. There is a huge difference in price and I can't really see why he needs one of the expensive ones. Thanks for your help.
My docs use various handhelds...sm
some like software interface that comes with the units and some like the "hard drive" type like the Olympus WM-100. You don't use a proprietary software to take the files off the machine...you just use Windows Explorer.
As how to upload them to an FTP, in my experience, you can do it two ways: you can either upload it directly from the handheld (which I would NOT recommend), or you can upload them to a folder on your computer and THEN upload them to an FTP site. That way you can ensure you have a copy in case they get lost or the Transcriptionist loses them, etc, etc., etc. Murphy's law, you know!
If you have more specific questions, please feel free to email me and I'll try to answer them to your satisfaction. 
I do tapes and digital. And I was told if I'm not logged into the digital system, they assume I&
BUT she wants me logged into the system by 9:30 a.m. So I'm confused too. I've decided that I may come back to her and just say I'm not going to do the tapes anymore. I hate the tapes anyway. The voice quality is horrible, it fades in and out. It takes me twice as long to transcribe their tapes than the digital.
Whatever is easiest for you is the
most productive for you. I use ABCZ and then my own abbreviations that are easier for me to remember.
the easiest way to decide (sm)
Is to ask yourself how you would feel if the tables were turned... then you will have your answer. And also, the best piece of advice I ever got was "if you have to ask, you already know the answer".
One of the easiest ones I've ever done, wish I still had it!!! nm
x
The easiest way would be to break into...sm
acute care for the same company you do clinic for if they have acute care available. If not it is going to be hard. The company you are currently with would be more likely to train you to do acute care because they know what your capabilities are.
You will want to sway the easiest way for you
If it is a one-doctor practice, you want to purchase the handheld.
Try www.transcriptiongear.com for options regarding either FTP or call-in system depending on the volume.
www.vancedigital.com offers an FTP site that is easy to use and you pay on usage; fairly inexpensive.
I would suggest for tapes that you give them a list of courier services because once you start to pick and drop off work and tapes you'll lose valuable time.
I like to get out during the week so I do deliver but the pay is awesome and I can't bring myself to not pick up, plus it allows me to network.
Sticky notes a great idea. I was actually thinking a pen with my business name on it, but haven't gone that route as of yet.
Good luck to you.
I agree, that's the easiest &
cheapest way to go, partition the HD. You could even have separate HDs if you wanted to. I have had both setups over the years. Of course, I'm married to my "tech person" - lol.
Unfortunately, CS seems to be the easiest debt to skip out on
You'll get into more trouble if you bounce a $25 check. I have used one of those private agencies because my ex had moved out of state and once that happens, if the ex doesn't want to pay and moves around in jobs, you can pretty much forget about getting anything.
The private agency works a lot faster, but the contracts are very complicated and you are pretty much signing up for the life of the CS obligation; otherwise there has be nonpayment of CS for a year before you can end the contract. And yes they take a big chunk of money but at the time I thought it was better than getting nothing at all.
But in the end, once payments have been established, the private agency ends up filtering the payment through your local CSEA anyway.
I think your best bet is to use some kind of locator service and if you can get a good address provide that to your local CSEA.
I wish they had an "America's Most Wanted" for deadbeat dads/moms. It's amazing to me that it is seemingly so easy to stop paying, change jobs, and just not be found.
Easiest and fastest way is to Google sm
once found, click on the manufacturer's website. That way you will always have the correct spelling, etc.
Easiest guacamole recipe
I just mash the avocadoes, open a jar of my favorite salsa, pour off the excess liquid without squeezing the veggies, add lemon or lime juice, a little salt and pepper and done.... It's always the 1st thing gone whenever I bring it somewhere.
I think specialty work would be easiest..sm
With family practice, you could see a number of diseases from all specialties, so you need to know the terminology for all. In specialty work, you would see the same all the time. For example, if you took on an ortho doc, you'd see all ortho, so you learn the terminology for that specialty only. Once you have that down pat, you could branch out into a new one and so on, gaining experience with each.
You will have a more well-rounded experience going with family practice over specialty, but as a newbie getting own accounts, specialty would be easier, IMHO. I don't really recommend starting as a newbie at home with your own accounts, but that's just my opinion. It's a lot harder because you won't have QA - the doctor will be your QA, and they can be a lot harder to face than an online QA person. You have to take criticism well, since it will come from a doctor most times (or staff member) and some docs can be blunt and even condescending. Just being honest based on my own experience. Maybe you could try some of the small MTSOs rather than national companies, where you might only have 1-2 QA people and aren't as stringent about BOS rules, etc.
If you find a local doc willing to take a chance, go for it, but don't expect it to be any easier at first than a national or working for another person. There are pros and cons to each. It can be hard to get either job without experience, but a local doc desperate for help might be more willing to take a chance. Depends on what the MT market is like in your area. If small town, good chance finding a client. If larger town with lots of MTs available, it will be harder.
The easiest answer would be use Explorer. sm
More information would be helpful. Is this an Olympus recorder? Is there software that came with the recorder that is needed in order to download?
As an example, my OMs download dictation to their computer using Microsoft Explorer (not Internet Explorer, IE).
Easiest way is by the minute/seconds ...(sm)
At $60 per audio hour (60 minutes) is $1.00 per minute.
$1.00 x 33.31 = $33.31
(sorry, I emailed you by accident, and meant to post!)
Op reports by far are easiest for me - hardest is Oncology. nm
x
The most & easiest money I ever made typin'
was for a hospital that had all these kickass "normals" for OP notes. The docs would say, "Please use my _____ template" and that was it. Some ortho templates were an instant 100+ lines and they took mere seconds to zap in! Those days are long gone for me but I remember them fondly.
The easiest things is to use a jump drive.
Use Windows Explorer to locate the voice files and then copy or move them to the jump drive. Jump drives are coming down in price. I just bought a whole bunch of 2GB drives for $19/each at Staples last week.
Which HIPAA E-mail Software Program for OE is easiest/best?
I provide service for an office of three OB-GYNs and the OM/docs may be willing to consider going from hand-held microcassette to hand-held digital recorders (mean no more pickup-delivery of dictation/transcription for me!). I would like to utilize a very (hopefully) simple HIPAA compliant encrypted E-mail program for transferring of files in Outlook Express that will work on my own computer as well as the office's Linux network.
I have found one that appears to offer all of the above features I am looking for and seems reasonably priced called CenturionMail, found at the link provided. Is anyone familiar with this program and/or any others that they would highly recommend? I need something simple as we are all new to this adventure.
My goal is to some day be on the road in our RV, setup with a laptop, and felt an E-mail program would be my best choice for utilizing a campground's Internet connection for uploading/downloading of files. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks for any feedback you can offer me. I sincerely appreciate it.
Hardest: Dental surgery. Easiest: Cardiology, OPs. sm
Most interesting: Psych.
I think it's generally whatever you get the least of that you'll find the hardest. I used to hate OPs, GI procedures, and cardiology, but eventually got used to them and found they are repetitive (aka good money makers!).
Poll: hardest and easiest work types. I enjoy...
orthopedics and psychiatry. Do not like cardiology, oncology.
The easiest way for this one is to insert blank fields with Ctrl + F9. You jump to
each field with F11. You use Shift+F11 if you skip a field and need to go back. If you don't see your fields in the doc, hit Alt+F9 to show or hide fields.
Bookmarks and cross-reference fields are used when you have static information you need to pull into a field. That isn't the case when you are dealing with variable info.
French, especially the surgeons. Easiest: Middle Eastern, Korean, Chinese, Indian. nm
x
No, you are not being cheap.
I spend what I can afford. No more, no less.
They got her cheap
Quality is on the downswing and hiring cheap people is up but that's ridiculous.
Yes, cheap. NM
no message
that is cheap
I have done seminars and meetings and still charge by the line and have made about $100 per 60 minute tape.
Its because they are too cheap
to upgrade to the latest technology. I remember using DOS forever and WP 5.1 forever because the MTSOs were too cheap to invest any money in state of the art technology.
There are services that use Vista, but harder to find.
Cheap docs
They absolutely don't care about quality or any of that jazz, which is why I have always wondered why we as an industry keep beating each other up over issues that doctors couldn't care less about. Not that I think we should all just transcribe any old way we want, but it seems like we act like the slaves out in the mud pit slapping each other around about how much or how little straw to use for the bricks while the slavedriver sits on the side line with the whip completely content with end product either way.
I suppose the answer most would give is that we should take pride in the quality of our work whether they (the doctors) do or not, but I can't get passed the notion that these are the same individuals that the powers that be seem so intent on pleasing and are also the same individuals who would see us all in the soup lines tomorrow looking for the next homeless shelter to sleep in if they had their way. They (the medical profession) will not think twice about putting all transcriptionists out of business at their first opportunity, and yet we as an industry continue to bow to their ridiculous and uninformed demands concerning how to do what we do or their complaints about how much we charge or that we shouldn't charge for line count generated by short forms or macros, etc. They have no clue how many times their butts get saved by transcriptionists on a daily basis.
I've never met a transcriptionist who wouldn't readily agree with the notion that we are part of the health care team, and yet many of us continue to act like we still work for the doctors instead of the patient. Oh well, go figure.
Just venting as well.
Cheap doctors
I remember one specialist many years back who complained when the hospital I worked for put in a new dictation system which required pushing the buttons on the phone to put in patient ID, etc. He came to the department in person, ranting and raving because "now he would have to pay to have a push button phone installed" in his office. This same doc came in the department on a Sunday afternoon and was using the hospital department copy machine to copy EACH AND EVERY PAGE his JAMA because he had DROPPED IT IN HIS POOL at home. Can you say, "cheep, cheep, cheep"????
No, its cheap labor.
x
That's cheap.....electrolysis......sm
the plastic surgeon charges $400 per session no matter what part of the body, mine was the chin and one brown spot, oh and in between the eyebrows (which the dr who didn't own the practice charged me HALF that). That doctor is more experienced in laser than the doctor who owns the practice (who wouldn't have charged me at all *lol*).
Someday when I am rich (hey, I can dream, now can't I??? *LOL*) I will go back and have the chin done over and over again *lol*
The reason they are so cheap
I think it's a bit of hyprocrisy on MLSs who are so anti-offshoring but love their computers from a company that offshores a lot of its jobs and there are plans to do even more.
Onesuite.com cheap, not
unlimited but very cheap, under 3 cents a minute. Lots bells and whistles. It's for regular phone not internet.
Cheap tickets.com
I got two round trip tickets for less than 500 on cheap tickets.com
Talk is cheap and I don't believe it
I have a feeling you make a lot of sloppy errors and that's why you are hostile to QA who is in the same boat as you struggling to make pennies for each line. Grow up and go to charm school.
Maybe it's a new, CHEAP way to lower their
Could happen..........
is this doctor cheap or what?
I know someone who has an account that she's had for about 3+ years. This practice recently went through some changes; one of the main partners retired, they hired another one or two new docs, and now the other partner who was left behind has slashed costs every which way, even to the point of not purchasing letterhead anymore. They expect their MT to now print their letterhead (oh, and she has to buy the paper now too!!!), and she is consequently using a lot more ink than normal. She was already printing their letters and not charging them for the ink (on their letterhead that they furnished), but now she has to use their letterhead template on plain white paper, which is going through ink like crazy, not to mention the now added cost of paper on top of that. How rude is this? Do you believe it? I told her she needs to speak up. She is pretty angry about it, but she is so afraid to say something for fear they'll get rid of her too! And, in all the years she's been doing their dictation she has not gone up on the price, not one penny. Any advice out there?
To those with cheap headsets
Just wondering if any of you have tried the "quality" sets? I only ask because if you have not compared, you might not know what you are missing.
I keep bugging you all because it seems when I make investments that are supposed to help, it is about a 50/50 success. Some help; some were not worth the money.
I need to get faster. I am okay with certain accounts, but others slow me way down, so I need to make every improvement I can to make the slow accounts a moot point (at least).
Thanks again for all the help! 
what spell check do u use? Looking for something cheap... sm
Just starting out and need a spell check program that will do drug names also. I am looking for something that will cover the basics for now and then when I get some pay checks under my belt I can get one of the big ones like spellex. My current employer states there are literally hundreds of medical spell checkers on the market and I should be able to find one that covers some drug names also...does anyone have any ideas or can name a few?? thanks
need a cheap word expander
hoping to find a decent one at a reasonable price. Please post if you have one for sale or have a good web site.
Thanks!
Cheap Word Expander
I have Instatype and I have never used it - brand new but have had the program for a couple of years. If you will pay postage I don't think you will find one any cheaper.
A4 Tech not great, but cheap -5/10 nm
nm
Hee hee not for my daughter it wasn't cheap. Zak is 3 now. lol. nm
x
No, it certainly is not cheap. Overpriced IMO & not takes quite some
gggg
waxing- its pretty cheap & the best way to go
x
I use it and have for years. It's reliable and cheap
at least in my area. I can call anywhere in the country and talk for as long as I want for around $50 a month. I have two phones and just forward calls from one phone to the other when I'm typing an account that uses the phone.
try walmart mail in. very cheap.
x
Urgently need some cheap headphones, as in
nm
Need cheap health insurance
I'm paying $475 a month for COBRA since I went part-time a few months ago. Does anyone know of any options for me? I've already been turned down by Blue Cross.
|
