General Escription questions for those who use it daily.
Posted By: NewBMT on 2007-04-22
In Reply to:
Just started a new job that uses Escription/Edit script. I have had some problems with it here and am wondering if anyone can give me some insight. The tech team isn't available when I am online working, and I was hoping to work tomorrow when again no tech people are available.
First issue is I am using Express Scribe to play the audio. I have some issues with that I think as sometimes it says the file isn't there but it is in my Express Scribe... I'm assuming I need to manually load each audio file after the text has loaded. Is that right?
Next problem is when editing and I play it on the Escription audio the red boxes go across each word, ect. Then when I have to stop it to change something it all goes screwy and words double up, lines multiply and it looks like a big black mess and I can't read anything. WTH is that?
Anyone have advice on any of this stuff? I've used Emdat in the past and had no troubles with that at all. I've heard such great things about Escription, but right now I want to throw the whole computer along with it out the window!
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Did you try going to the general escription forums?
Is it Willie that moderates it? Anyhoo, someone in there asked about getting a USB adapter a while back. Maybe one of the techs can help you. I would LOVE to be able to use my laptop with a pedal.
General MT questions
Recently, I was asked the following questions by a friend who is helping to revamp a medical transcription course. These questions are also asked by individuals who might be interested in medical transcription and are posed at seminars.
I would appreciate your input if you would be so kind. Also, what is the industry-wide expectation on required number of lines per day and number of minutes per day (8-hour day).
1. On average, how long does it take a medical Transcriptionist to produce 1 hour of dictation?
2. Besides Word, is it essential for transcriptionists to purchase any of the transcription software that’s available?
3. Is it common for doctors to transcribe into templates, which eliminates the need for medical transcriptionists?
4. How many lines an hour should an average MT be typing?
Thanks I appreciate any and all input.
you're welcome; use Main board for general MT questions
nm
Questions about Escription. sm
I am having trouble sorting out the different entities here. I know Escription is the company that makes EditScript, but do they also take over the transcription departments? I keep hearing that "Escription" outsourced the work, and it doesn't seem to be the platform, but the company I am hearing about. Also, what is EMR? I hear this in association with Escription, but can't find it on their website. I'm trying to sort this out, as there is talk of my hospital going to Escription soon. I thought Escription just sold the software to other companies, but it sounds now like they control any company that uses their software. Any information would be appreciated. TIA.
Meditech questions and Cerner questions. Any input is appreciated. SM
I just recently went back to work in the office at a local hospital. We type in both Meditech and Cerner, depending on what you are typing, i.e. Medical Records reports versus Radiology. We are currently typing blindly in Meditech, meaning we do not have access to our line counts and must depend on management to give us our totals. In Cerner, we are able to run a line count report and print out a hard copy of our line counts at the end of the day.
We are finding that 800 lines in Cerner equals about 500 lines in Meditech. We are not paid per line nor do we have an incentive plan, but we have a new HIM Director who would like to institute an incentive plan and the administrator over our department has laid down the law and decreed that all transcriptionists not making minimum in the department will be written up. Problem is according to Meditech line totals that we have been given, that would be about half the department.
The transcription supervisor has taken our concerns to the new director who told the MT Supervisor to hold off on writing people and has taken home all the line counts from the last month and she is going over them with a fine tooth comb this weekend.
I am not a very trusting soul by nature, so I am doing a little research on my own. I've been in this business for about 15 years. I started out in a hospital and have worked for a few services at home and am now back in the hospital setting. So I know a few things about line count and I consider myself to be pretty well informed on trends and technology in the industry. I would like to walk into our next department meeting armed with as much knowledge as possible. So I have come up with some questions that I would like some fellow MTs to answer, give opinions, and maybe even direct me to websites or individuals who could give me a better understanding of Meditech and Cerner. Here are my questions:
- Is it possible for an MT to have access to her line count in Meditech or is strictly a management function? Any MTs that work in Meditech on this board, do you currently have access to your line counts and if so, how do you check them? Is it an option on the main menu after you log into Meditech?
- How is a line defined in Meditech? (i.e. 65 cpl, with spaces, without spaces)
- How is a line defined in Cerner?
- What abbreviation Expanders work with both Meditech and Cerner?
- Examples of incentive plans (if anyone would like to share that with me that would be great, if not I completely understand).
- Measuring productivity by minutes of dictation versus typed lines.
- What would be the minimum minutes required for an 8-hour day?
- How would one structure an incentive program based on minutes?
I was thinking of presenting the idea that we keep track of productivity using minutes instead of lines since there is such a discrepancy in Meditech. I also worry that if an incentive plan is put into place and we are still typing blind into Meditech, what's to keep management from shaving off a few lines here and there?
Feel free to email me or post here any responses. Either is fine. I really appreciate any input, comments, or just plain old supportive posts would be nice too! 
In general
All caps and no abbreviations. Headings for PE and ROS underneath. Account specifics may differ.
In General....
An employer cannot set a specific schedule for an IC. This link addresses the issue here :
http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/1179.html
An excerpt fron the site above notes :
"According to the IRS, workers are employees if they must comply with the employer's instructions about their work, receive training or direction from the employer, provide services that integrate into the employer's business, render their services personally (can't subcontract), have a continuing working relationship with the employer, must follow set hours of work, work full-time for the employer..."
As is noted in the site linked above , the consequences for the employer are quite severe if the IRS determines that the company actually was treating you as an employee rather than an IC.
In general,
in a given occupational group the upward pressure that unions place on wages and benefits has the net effect of raising the income and standard of living of poor folk up to the level of middle class folk while the absence of unions tends to drag the income and standard of living of middle class folk down to the level of poor folk. That upward pressure on wages and benefits not only helps union members but everybody else working in that occupational group. Without the organized upward pressure, wages will sink like a rock.
attorney general
good idea. I have contacted an attorney already (I am a corp by myself so I have access to an attorney) and he states that legally there is nothing right now that I can do. I can possibly sue them later down the road, but they have not done anything illegal. He suggested to try and "sugar" them into paying me. I will contact the attorney general's office. The company and I are in the same state, so that helps tremendously.
Go to Dollar General. sm
I'm amazed what i can find there for $1. You never know what you're going to find, but cleaning supplies, household stuff, things that are definitely more than $1 even at Wal-Mart...as long as you're willing to not be picky. When the hurricanes were looming, I got mutli pack of name -brand batteries for $1, tons of candles, etc. You just have to search the whole store, but definitely worth it.
MT and medicine in general
The greedy guts smelled the ability to MAKE A PROFIT in the field of medicine
and "there went the neighborhood."
It used to be a sign of respect to be a doctor - now they just work for the company store and are running out the door with the nurses at quitting time - throwing any patient they may be seeing to the winds. One even told me to hurry up and make up my mind because she had to go pick up her kids at daycare!
And so has medical transcription - some guy in a tie said QUANTITY OF LINES COULD = MUCHO PROFIT...
Of course those people don't care if a few people die along the way because of errors. - well not at least until it's their leg that's amputated by mistake.
Is that the one for a general transcriptionist?
c
In general no, but your client may need you to
nm
dogs in general
As a pet owner, I can understand the devestating feelings that you have regarding the horrible death of your dog/child. (I say child because my 2-year-old Weimaraner is like one of my kids) Please remember that any dog can be made to be vicious, there are no vicious dogs by nature. Dogs are a direct result of the environment that they live in and if they are mistreated then they are going to be mean and unsafe. My brother had what is called a Mastif bulldog and it was the biggest baby I have ever see at 100 pounds. Neighbors were okay with this dog in the neighborhood (all their kids loved him) until a picture of his breed was put on the cover of Time magazine. In this picture, the dog was snarling and looked very vicous. My brother ended up having to get rid of the dog because so many people were then afraid, even though before they loved the animal before. There is "prejudice" when it comes to dogs, just as there is "prejudice" when it comes to people.
too general a question - please be.....nm
General Transcriptionist
Im trying to begin my career in MT. I've ordered a at home study course and im waiting for it to arrive but in the mean time i heard that general transcription is the route to go until you become efficient enough to begin in MT. Does anyone know of how I need to get started in this and what I need to do to begin?
Thanks
Jodie
as a general rule...
I use an "f" after any abbreviation that I want to expand. I just use the standard abbreviation plus f, so I do not forget what they are. My ShortHand is full of things like this.
ex: cbcf tcpf tshf
Works for me!
General Dissatisfaction
I read all these board and it seems that overall no one is happy where they are. Is it because this is the most God awful boring profession possibly? I am so bored that to keep me occupied I find things that could be done better or quicker. I just switched companies because I couldn't stand same old same old another minute. Just the new platform and dictators make for a better day. Am I alone in this thought process? No, changing jobs is not an option right now kids at home and raising them comes before me..Just a theory
Your question is too general...
You need to post on the company board for a specific company. We cannot answer your question as currently presented!
what general area are you in
A gal I know up in a western metropolitan area got 14 cpl 5 YEARS ago, but she says the prices up there are like that. I wonder what they get in New York?
General discussions here say should get AT
x
It seems that the general consensus is that it
is inappropriate, regardless of the sexual orientation of the employee.
If you did not give your expressed permission to use your company name, logo, or otherwise, it could be considered a copyright infringement.
Ask her to take it down because you did not give your permission for her to put it up.
Wages in general
In looking over *** jobs, under the pay/compensation it seems everyone is putting "competive wage/compension". Can anyone give me some idea of what that means....I am currently getting 8.5-10 cents for IC work. I have 10+ years and made it at Healthscribe for 5+ years, which was definitely the worst work ever. Can I do better? I had my CMT and let it expire years ago.
This is what I use daily
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/
This site lets you type in three or more letters of the drug, and it pulls up everything with those letters. It's great for when you only hear part of the drug.
Daily?
Daily work is exactly what the word DAILY means --> work that comes in on a daily basis. No days pass by without an empty queue.
I must be with the wrong companies then.
I was always told as a general rule
it was double. Most of the time, however, I think it is slightly over that.
Bachelors of General Studies
Summa cum laude, thank you very much.
Long, complicated story. Basically, I'm a clinical year short of a Clinical Laboratory Science degree, but I won't go back and pursue it barring losing my husband. Also, if I'd have thought more carefully when I switched out of the CLS program, I was only 3 or 4 classes short of a B.A. in psychology. Oh, well. What I ended up with is essentially a liberal arts degree with lots and lots of science classes and lots of psychology classes and a smattering of language studies.
Like some of the other posters, my ultimate goal is to get into P.A. school once my youngest kiddos are school age. I think I'm too old for med school now, but it raises my hopes to see the post below. Being a transcriptionist pays the bills, but some days I do kinda get upset with myself. Here I am doing the same thing I went to school not to do any more. Sigh...
MTing is not bad, but I just don't get enough people contact, and it certainly doesn't have a lot of money or prestige associated with it. Sigh.. again. Ah, well. It works for my family right now.
That is the general premise though it seems more and more "require"
what they are trying to do is obviously have a good idea of what your daily committment/lines will be so they can keep the work covered and done in TAT. It makes sense for them to do this though I do not like having a set schedule as that is hard for me personally...maybe 2 out of 5 weekdays I could actually work a schedule. As for "requiring" you to work a holiday, if it is in your contract, yes, if not but it is your normal scheduled work day and they say nothing about you having it off, they I would think they "expect" you to work it. Work though at the holiday's does slack off some, the doctors don't want to work either. I am an IC but don't have to work a schedule luckily, and I get off the days the hospital I do work for does (all major holidays) though I may have work at home to do in my box, I choose when to do it, as long as it is in for my deadline they don't care. Seems to me those types of jobs are getting harder to find though.
Former owner of MDI, now General Manager
Wow - I most definitely do work at MDI.
If you worked for MDI you would know how extremely busy we are. I sent out a mass email on Wednesday asking for extra help.
I try to NEVER overhire, as I am a Transcriptionist myself and I realize that my MT's need the job and the money coming in on a regular basis. So I do take great offense at your post. AND YES, I really work at MDI.
Please give me a call.
Thanks,
Liz
Can anyone point me in the general direction
of making templates? I have no idea what I am doing or where to start. I have looked in the archives, but keep finding posts related to jobs that pay for templates, etc. Thanks in advance 
Also, is it possible to really use templates when doing a very large acute care hospital?
I wasn't asking for your address, just general
location. Like East Coast, West Coast, Midwest .. big city, small town. Your unwillingness to respond to any of the questions pretty much gives me my answers.
Why does everyone here always just automatically assume the worst? Sheesh. It's like a rampant disease. Yes, I was asking for your address so I can come find you and stalk you. As if I would actually care. I was trying to make a point as to regional rates, that's all. When someone like you pipes up saying that 9 cpl is an "India" wage, then the good people who are surviving quite well on 9 cpl won't want to speak up for fear of being bashed. I run ads for help often for my transcription service and get plenty of responses from Indian MTs and most of them are only asking for 3-4 cpl. The only way I could ever see companies paying 9 cpl to MTs overseas would be if MTs here were asking 20 cpl. Otherwise, it just wouldn't be advantageous since many US MTs are more than willing to work at 9 cpl with (usually) much better quality and fewer training expenses.
All I can say to the OP is that you should decide what rate works best for you. Will 9 cpl pay your bills? Cost of living is different in different places so 9 cpl may work for one MT but not another. Are you being started at 9 cpl with the knowledge that you can move up from that rate once they've QA'd your work for a few months? While some MTs in some areas may be able to demand a rate of 16 cpl, that is not typical in all locales. Asking that rate in a smaller town would put you out of business since there would be too many others more than happy to accept the 9 cpl.
Finally, I hope this is not the only message board you use to seek answers to your questions. I find this board to be the least beneficial with the most negativity and bickering getting in the way of any good information it provides. Check out some other MT sites as well. And please remember that people hiding behind anonymity will often exaggerate or just plain not tell the truth so take it with a grain of salt. Do the math and see if the rate will work for YOU. It doesn't have to be good for anyone else. :)
how about esthetics field in general
I don't want to spend 7k and get out and have no business.
Paid by report or cpl - Which is better in general? nm
nm
Right click My Computer....should be under general tab. nm
xx
What general search engine do you use? (sm)
Does anyone use anything but Google for a general search engine? Google seems to be down today (is google down for anyone else?), and I'm trying to find another one that is as good for my general searches.
Thanks!
General rule is 3-5% a year. sm
If you currently get 8 cpl, ask for a raise up to 8.25 or 8.5 cpl, that almost covers cost of living and inflation.
Generic numbers here to show the math based on the 8 cpl with the raises:
200 lph at 8.00 cpl = $16 hourly/$33,280 yearly
200 lph at 8.25 cpl = $16.50 hourly/$34,320 yearly
200 lph at 8.50 cpl = $17.00 hourly/$35,360 yearly
When you ask for a raise, provide them with verifiable data to prove you DESERVE a raise. Say you are 99% accurate, remind them. If you type 250 lph or more, remind them. If you work OT on days off, remind them. If you come at them with your homework done and good reason to give you more, they will be more apt to say yes. (I have never been turned down for a raise, once even got more than I actually was looking for because I didn't specify how much of a raise I was wanting.)
There's general, insurance, police, others. nm
s
Companies in general, true. ICs could be
added in, but obviously there are laws from the labor board regarding employees, versus IC where it would be a contract.
However, I just was wondering how far a supervisor can go as long as people work their hours (allowable by law 8 scheduled) and as long as people get their agreed on minimum line count. Wondering about no breaks between reports, and working every minute being monitored and that would be with a company or any employer paying your benefits. Also, wondering if this were mentioned at the interview, would a person take the job. Guess that is a more rhetorical wondering. But it is true, up to the employee to do something about it. I agree. If the employee does not want to stand for it, could either leave, or make an issue out of it, which brings us to another conversation then.
Have you looked into general transcription?
There's more of it available than you might think, and I've heard it pays better.
General liabilty and E&O are two different animals.
I used to sell insurance. General liability protects your companies assets when something you do causes harm to either a person or property. E&O, aka professional liability, aka Errors & Omissions comes into play when you make a mistake and/or omit something and thereby cause financial harm to your client. I can't see the need for an independent MT to carry either of these - unless you're like the one who has the government contracts. You can get a small GL only policy from Hartford for about $400 a year and they are the only ones who will write those. The E&O is closer to the $5k a year range (or more) and there is no need to do that - not when all of our work is sent through the MTSO's QA people. The MTSO holds the burden for that.
You can learn a lot about this and Word in general
if you go to the MS Word forum at Productivity Talk at http://www.productivitytalk.com/forums/index.php
Programming C phone in general
C-PHONE PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS
Note: The C phone mapping system may be different for each facility. Ask the supervisor/owner for the programming keys needed for each function. Sometimes you may find them on the face of the phone, under the plastic cover. There are 16 buttons available to program (1-8 down the left side and 9-16 down the right side)
You will use the function keys under the display window and the Select button (X) next to the number key pad.
On the C phone screen, there are 3 buttons below the display window. The messages in the columns above the 3 buttons are:
Time Date
Progm Msg Directory
Select the Progm button and the follow screen appears:
Progrm
Keys ID/Time Tel
Note: Put some thought into the Keys that are convenient or work quickly. For example, button 9 (top right side) may be the button to dial into the system; button 10 may be the ID number you key in to access work, etc.
To program the keypad, press PROGM—KEYS
The screen asks you to select a program key. Chose one of the 16 buttons.
The screen will ask you if you want to Revise the information there, press one of the 3 buttons in the message screen. We will select YES. Then enter your ID number or dial-in number etc followed by the #.
We now need to SELECT this choice as the final step for programming this button. The SELECT is on the right side of the phone number pad, the “X” key. Each time you program a key, the last step will be to press the SELECT key to end that function.
If you make a mistake during the programming process, just press the STOP key on the C phone pad and start over.
For each subsequent function you want to program, follow the instructions again from
PROGM- KEYS
By chance is this MT Daily?
.
Not everyone comes to this board daily!
Are we not allowed to ask questions if they've been asked before? I understand this is the main board but people complain on the company board too if you ask about a company already posted about. Maybe those people can just skip over the posts and keep going, onto another message board preferably! Sheesh.
How many authors do you have daily?
I'm with a small MTSO and for quite a while have been on an account with about 10 doctors, mostly ESL. I was very comfortable with them. I have been trained on three accounts, one with maybe 6 and then another very large account, but they kept me primarily on this account.
Recently I was switched to one of the other accounts - no ESL, but this last pay period I had 38 different authors!! Am having a hard time getting comfortable, and there's other problems  , but for this post I just was hoping to find out, on average how many authors are others doing?
Maybe I was really lucky before with just 10 docs - ?
Usually 2 hours daily.
Today I clocked 2 hours 33 minutes and I can honesly say I'm beat! Almost solid H&Ps and D/C summaries too...so finger-saving normals. Blech!
I would still flag it - he said twice daily not
Daily digest
What's the daily digest? I had not heard of that. How do we sign up for it?
I add things daily. sm
I have been an MT and had an Expander for nine years, and i still add things on a daily basis. Not only cos I still run into new stuff daily, but also because your mind thinks of more and more complex things to put in there as you go.
Back when I started, all I thought about was long words and two-word phrases, maybe some longer phrases. I was happy with that. But then as i went typing happily along, I discovered I could do much more -- put entire sentences in, put formatting in, create entire pick lists, call up macros, call up websites, call up templates, the list goes on and on.
How do I remember them? Well, first I realize it's missing by actually typing in the short I think would make sense if it was in there. If it's not there, I put it in. Then maybe the next time I run into that phrase, I think, "hmm, have I entered this before?" and i try out the short that would make the most sense to me (at that time of course, which could be completely different than the first time!) And if it's there, yeah! I just saved myself some keystrokes!
I also just switched to IT and about once a month I run an enrichment on my doctors to get the most out of what they say.
what is daily work?
If it's never running out, being able to work the hours you want to work and still making a decent paycheck, then yes I have daily work.
The Daily Typo: - (sm)
What was dictated: "He had normal fundi bilaterally."
What I typed: "He had normal FUNGI bilaterally."
Mental image that conjured up: Dude with large mushrooms sprouting out of his ears! 
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