Do any of you ever feel sad for the patients?
Posted By: emotionalmt on 2008-06-19
In Reply to:
Maybe it is because I am on my period and am more emotional than usual, but today typing all these terminal cancer reports is making me want to cry. I feel so sad for the patient and their families. I just cannot imagine being told that I only have a few months left of my life. And the doctors sound so cold about it. I know they are very used to it....I just know that I could never be a doctor. I could never get used to telling someone they are going to die.
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we should just once, as patients (sm)
go to the dr's office and waste THEIR time!!! Let them know how it feels for a change. But then again, the doc wouldn't wait two seconds on a patient, now would they? Wow, whatta double standard! 
Patients
On a really bad day, I feel like a vampire for making money off of other people's misfortunes.
Maybe sometimes we have too much time to think! I don't know.
Just because 2 patients have the
same dx does not mean they are treated the same and symtoms are the same in many dxs. Do you have your degree?
Well, too bad that they have 30 patients - sm
to see so they don't want to spell things out. Do they cut corners on patient care, as well, when they have 30 patients to see - or is that reserved for us peon MTs? So they're "frustrated" with 30 patients - well, cut your patient load! We're not paid to "guess" or have to look up everything they don't feel like spelling, especially other doc's names. Just won't do it.
By the way, I wonder if they know how many documents we have to type a day (30 maybe?) to even eke out simple minimal wage - but that's OK, I suppose, compared to their 5 or 6-figure salaries.
Just give everybody the bum's rush because you have 30 patients. Suppose we did the same?
A party for our patients...
Every year, the staff in our clinic takes it on ourselves to throw a party for our patients. We all cook finger food, make snack trays, cookies, baked good, cheezes, bread, meat trays, the works. We have breakfast foods and lunch foods. We decorate tables in our lobby to spread this out on. We usually do this one day a week for the four weeks before Christmas so many patients will get to enjoy it. We have coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice, cokes and punch. We have fruits and dips....something for everyone, even diabetics. The patients are touched that we go to the trouble and we are touched by how much they love it! These patients have gone through enough suffering with their diseases and some are elderly and don't have family members. Some tell us this is their only Christmas! We have been doing this several years now and the patients are beginning to tell us to be sure we appoint them to return on the days we are having our "Christmas spread." I just thought I'd share the Christmas party that means the most to me... and this is definitely it! Just the look on their faces as they are enjoying it is Christmas to me.
It is not our job to judges the patients sm
or why or where they seek treatment. It is our job to transcribe the dictated reports. If you don't like the healthcare system, then go out and change it.
Just how many lives do YOUR patients have?
Apparently mine have more than one because I have one dictator who likes to use the following phrase: Patient was told that he might have death and loss of current life. 
Now we have to insist patients
being treated are actually examined before treatment is rendered?
Wasn't it bad enough medicine when ER docs would proclaim a diagnosis before exam, only to have to backpedal after taking a look?? I guess if they are going to do things in that order, doing physical exams is going to result in their looking stuupid, so their solution is not to do that part.
Big grrrr.
If the patients were aware of that, they could
nm
A question regarding patients' rights
I was just wondering this. My mother was recently sent to a "liver specialist" who is local gastrointestinal doctor because of concern over persistently elevated liver function tests. He drew a LOT of blood work on her and only told her that it looks like she might have a fatty liver. He set her up to come back in six weeks to "get the results of her lab tests." SIX WEEKS! With her being very concerned, of course, we immediately searched the net and found out that fatty liver occurs in patients 1). who drink alcohol (she never has), 2). Patients who are overweight (she is not) or 3). Patients with diabetes (she hasn't got that, either). It says that a liver biopsy is how they find this out. He never mentioned doing one of those. My question is.. would a physician want to wait 6 weeks to find out lab results? You know it doesn't take 6 weeks to get the results back, they probably had them back within a day or two. In the meantime, she is stressing big time about what could be wrong. 
Not sure when doctors graduate their patients but
I have boys and we stopped when my oldest was 11 because they always made them strip down to their undies for checkups and checked their privates and I didn't feel that was necessary and my boys hated it.
No thanks. Anorexic geriatrics patients don't do it for me.
x
Very true, but a list of patients?
An invoice by the patient? Some clients need to do their own book keeping. It is bad enough you have to worry about the content of the reports. To have to retype a patient name into an invoice with the line count is utterly ridiculous especially as an IC. IC's get taken advantage of. As an IC, yes you should be charging for "everything". If you're an employee, they can put it under "other duties as needed". Business is business. If it takes more time, that takes more money. End of story. Don't do nothing for nothing. Your clients sure do not. They go all this time with this Transcriptionist with her invoicing and then all of a sudden decide they want each patient name and line count? Cut me a break. You don't think there should be a charge for that? You can work for free, but I certainly WILL NOT! To make statements like be paid to walk to the computer is really being a bit of a smarty pants in my opinion. Keep it to yourself if you want to work for free, most people don't! Have a great day making nothing to do A LOT!
I read it... does it mean US patients would have to travel - nm
.
A lot of physicians refer to their patients
as heterosexual or having same sex partners, it is very relevant in some aspects, as in exposure to AIDS/HIV, etc.
New Doctor, some patients already typed
I got a new doctor. They girl who had been working for him left him in a big mess, undone dictations, etc. The office gave me a flashdrive to do with about 30 patients on it over the holiday weekend. Today they've told me ten patients had already been typed, how did I want to handle that? It seems they don't want to pay me for these. My husband says to bite the bullet and not charge them, since this is a new account and I'd like to keep it, is possible. What do you think? I know it's a land of confusion there from what is done to what is not done. Thanks!
It's called BEING FAIR TO PATIENTS
. Why should patient care suffer?! The patients haven't done anything wrong, even if management sucks. I thought that's what MTs were ultimately hired to benefit, the patients.
How does outsourcing dictation allow doctors to see more patients?
In an article in the MT News section, it states this. Do they really need to see more patients? Most of them herd them in and out like cows.
And that is because the GYN forgets to tell his patients that when changing pills you have to use an
alternate method of birth control for a month until the new level of hormones in the pills kick in, whether higher or lower. That is how come so many get pregnant on the "pill." The facts...my cousin is GYN and he tells all of his patients that.
Just wondering, for you MTSOs, about how many patients/reports per day...
For, say, an orthopedic surgeon, or a family practice doctor. Or, maybe, how many minutes of transcription on average per day.
THANKS.
these are the docs that I don't think care about their patients. my opinion. nm
ss
The clock does play into how much time is spent with patients
The way the CPT codes bill insurance have guidelines for the physicians built into them that give amounts of time spent with the patient (in addition to certain information covered in the ROS/PE), especially in consultations (whether inpatient or out), hospital discharge codes and critical care time (inpatient or out).
Yes, that computer is in fact billing the insurance company because it not only saves not having to pay an MT, it bypasses a billing clerk (eliminating that salary), and if the doctor's office space is paid for by a hospital, that file is sent to the hospital's database where a *scrubber* compares what the MD submits versus coding guidelines. If it is an independent office, the MD can upload all that day's billing before he walks out the door and leave it unattended to update patient accounts and reconcile the days money intake.
In a nut shell, your doctor is no longer just practicing medicine. Your MD is doing the documentation and billing and saving money on two warm bodies.
I understand your concern as I see it more and more in today's medical care, but yes, this is the way things are going. I am fortunate that my MD has been very computer literate for a long time, so the amount of time he spends with his laptop is minimal. Once he enters the info, he kicks his shoes back and we chat and get into a deeper discussion both professionally and personally (we've known each other a long time). Give your MD a chance to play catch up to what he or she is doing with that computer and you should see a more relaxed physician soon.
Good luck.
We need actual examples of patients harmed by outsourcing
to take to the media. Then we could probably get enough interest for someone to do an expose on it.
I do reports all the time where patients have asthma, COPD, emphysema, and
even cancer and continue to smoke. In our local paper they are following a woman in her battle with cancer. She continues to smoke, as does her husband. They were broke before the cancer diagnosis, having to borrow daughter's babysitting money to pay bills. Just think how much money they've blown on cigarettes.
I've even known one man with a trach who smoked through his trach.
I wasn't clear. I guess patients' names is what irks me the most. SM
and you know how famous they are for dictating "Krenazcyssky, Jane, that's J-A-N-E.
neat web site 'chemo angels'. Help cancer patients
http://www.chemoangels.com/
Doctors patrolling themselves? What a joke! They barely have time to see ALL their patients....
Doctors today are totally incompetent for the most part. YOU cannot worry about it when it comes to transcribing their gawd awful reports. THAT is between the patient and the doc. Just knock the report out as fast as you can and make sure it's accurate and then after that, forget about it.
The docs make the big bucks - you don't! Let THEM worry about things that will eventually catch up with them, one of which is called the Karma bug, and that little bug ALWAYS bites those who don't deal fairly right in the butt! And big time, too! 
My nurse said most patients make calls with their cell, no problem
x
if you feel like that after 12 years, and I feel like that after six months
what hope is there?
I feel people who feel like this post
needs to a) either be a stay at home mother and not work or b) realize that she is no queen bee and I could care less about a degree. What company out here that you know of compensates for having a degree? Means nothing to them. Your working and being there when they assign/need/require/whatever is what you should do IF YOU WANT A JOB in this field, otherwise get out and do something else or become that babysitter.
No need to feel badly for me - feel badly for an adult who has no control of his/her own life!
I hope these people didn't produce any daughters! Bad, bad example!
I know how sad you must feel
Yes, you will love her forever, and someday you will be able to think of the good times you had with her, and you will be able to laugh. 
I know how you feel. :)
a
Don't feel bad!
It took me nearly a year to even find out if I had passed just before they went to the instant results system.
Don't feel bad...
When you take a position with any company, up front ask them if you will be working on a "ver batim" account. If so, don't take the position. Keep looking. Someone will appreciate your intelligence and knowledge somewhere! Good luck, and please know that you're not alone!!!
I feel the same as you...
My account does not allow me any normals. I am to leave a blank and they fill in the standard. I'm also a CMT and been at this for 30 years. I feel I'm doing something wrong when I hear all these 300-400 counts. I average maybe 200 per hour on a good day. I know some of my problem is having to look up referring doctors, but I can't imaging doing 300-400 lines on a consistent basis per hour! Thank you for your post. At least I know I'm not alone!
I feel for you
Last November I fell from a ladder, grabbed it with my right hand and severed nerves in 2 fingers, since I was at home, had home owner's which paid me a little and had AFLAC thru my job which helped, finally about to get back to normal but the last 6 months have been pure heck, good luck.
I feel that way every day. sm
I just take a break every 2-3 hours and take the dog for a walk or exercise or something. Sometimes, I run up and down the stairs or just go and sit out on my deck for a few minutes to get some fresh air.
Not sure it is menopausal symptoms as I am younger than the age. For me, it is my personality trait. I am a type A personality.
I feel like...
I am just having the very life sucked out of me! 
Now I don't feel so alone
Well, at least none of us are alone in the work all the time boat. I guess that is some consolation.
Enough so we don't feel
like a hooker on the street paying our "pimp"! All the MTSOs need to review their overhead and cut out unnecessary expenses and overpaying their CEOs. It is like the government spending $6,000.00 for a toilet. Look at the UN who is wanting to borrow the money from the U.S. to refurbish the UN building. Donald Trump has been in meetings with Congress and it is a very, very interesting thing to watch. The UN wants to set aside $431 million dollars just in contingencies; Trump said that the contingencies should be no more than $1 million to $2 million at most.
Basically, if the MTSOs had to live like many of us live, I'm sure they would be able to cut their waste and extravagance, don't you think?
Okay now I feel bad. I know I sit here in
my own little world with my family of 8 not having much time for the news and such. But really cannot believe I haven't heard this. How sad. He was a great man. When I did get to watch the news he was the one I watched. May God bless him and his family!
I feel sorry for you
This too shall pass. Tomorrow will be a better day.
you have every right to feel anyway you want...
this is just the way I feel. My life has been changed with this knowledge I just acquired, and I wanted to share it.
growing up on a farm, in the country, I am also aware of the local slaughterhouse, and even in the bible (old testament) how God commanded the slaughter of tens of thousands of cattle/ox, or whatever they were, DAILY - never could figure that one out (said the smell of burning flesh was pleasing to him or something ??)
BUT, just me, I cannot bear the thought of eating meat from a stressed animal dying in agony...I would think that has to be passed on to us, somehow, and also as you mentioned the growth hormones and antibiotics, and who knows what (some cows are fed other dead cows cut up), ick.
In my humble opinion, as far as peta, I do not think animals have 'rights' and I am just not the 'fanatic' type I guess. I do think as a member of the human race, there has to be a more humane way to kill these animals.
It is disturbing how easy it is for us to 'ignore' it.
Like in the video, it mentions how schizophrenic it all is, and how it goes on all day, every day, not far from where we live...
Anybody else feel this way?
I am so tired any more and I think I hate my job. Every day same thing. Between the lack of money for doing this thankless job, the way this company I work for treats me, the constant cherry-picking that I have to go through on a daily basis, I need a break. Can someone tell me ONE company that appreciates hard working MTs and is good to work for PLEASE. Thanks.
I am so sorry you feel this way
there are companies out there that are fair and good to work for.
Anyone else feel that when they have to
drive anywhere on the roads it's like driving in a Nascar race? I had 3 close calls today because of people not looking or seeing me in my lane and trying to merge into my vehicle. They try and zip in and out of traffic. They drive like maniacs yet I still see the same cars at the next stop light when I get there. Waiting for the flag to come down and yell "we have a winner" some days.
I know how you feel ...
My son's best friend was killed Monday in a motorcycle accident. He was only 16. Of course, we are extremely close - our families.
I haven't taken anything to any of their homes yet. I have sent a plant for the service tomorrow. I will make a nice memorial to his youth group. I plan to wait about 2-3 weeks, when things have settled down and all the items brought have disappeared. I'm sure his mother won't feel like cooking for a while -- then I'm taking a complete dinner over, maybe once a week until I know they are doing better.
I have also written a letter to my state legislators in his memory, asking for some changes in legislation that may have prevented this death.
My oldest son is 20 and his best friend was killed a year ago on a motorcycle as well. I'm handling this situation the same as the other with a plant, memorial to the youth group, and a few meals afterwards.
I know how you feel..
I am so discouraged. I am considering cutting my losses and moving on. This had turned into a cut throat operation. The employee is no longer treated like a human, just take the crap and keep your mouth should attitude. It is pretty sad that this company has turned into this type of operation. What is really sad is any company that would push the issue of line count quota and not quality....MTs will be so worried about getting quota that there will be no time for proofreading. SAD SITUATION.
I know how you feel
I took several tests like that. Actually the company that I now work for gave me a foreign dictator (very hard)for my test, and I have never typed for a foreign dictator and I have been there almost four months.
I feel so sorry for everyone there and wish there was
more I can do, but I think the schools are doing all they can. If the students don't have phone service, then the school can't call them either so that doesn't solve the issue. At least if they post a number, then hopefully the kids are out of the places now that are still out of power and have made it to family's home or a shelter and can call them.
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