Got to vent!!!! I'm so sick of ESLs I could
Posted By: Wannie on 2006-08-21
In Reply to:
scream. Do we not have any non-ESLs going to medical school anymore? 
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I AM SICK, SICK, SICK AND TIRED
Of bad dictators and QA that takes up for them!!!! I am sick to death of:
1. Doc saying paragraph after every sentence.
2. Docs never dictating the first name of doc they are writing to.
3. QA asking us to insert certain sentences in certain places for certain doctors who do not dictate them.
4. Docs wanting their own specific headings but not dictating them.
5. Docs who ramble, never saying period.
6. QA asking us to **fix** their grammer, mistakes, fragmented sentences, and verb tenses and sometimes when we do, we are docked points for **not transcribed as dictated.**
7. QA not wanting anything sent to them, stating **researach medical terms and facilities you are not familiar with.** If they are not there to help us out, what are they doing there????
8. Docs, NPs, and PAs who do not know how to dictate, pronounce, or spell.
9. QA asking us to use BOS, but not knowing it themselves.
10. Doing work I do not get paid for.
Before QA became involved, in years gone by, if a doc's dictation was awful - then that is what he got for transcription and more times than not, they would straighten up and make a better effort. Not now - we or QA has to almost do the dictation for them!! They are the ones with the medical degree - not us. What happened to us just transcribing what is dictated. Why can't they be responsible for what prints out?? If someone could let them know how much trouble their dictation style causes, it would cut my transcription time in half. My list could go on and on. It is a terrible time to be thinking about getting out of the business, but if this crap keeps up - I have to give it some serious consideration. The job just AIN'T what it used to be. 
I would rather do some ESLs that some of the
sloppy southern drawls that you cannot ever understand. Wish those people would learn that not everyone is in love with a southerner.
ESLs
What is an ESL ..... and I agree with you completely about the time spent on GRAMMAR!!!!
They can take the smallest so-called "errors" and put a black check by your name. We are medical transcriptionists, NOT English teaches.
Any GOOD MT has equally good grammar. Plus there should be less emphasis on grammar and more emphasis on the medical terminology. Do you REALLY think the doctor cares if a comma was put in or left out? NOT !!!!
I wasted a lot of time agonizing over GRAMMAR when I could have been getting in more lines and doing what is best for the patient .... accurate medical terminology.
Bad ESLs
Wouldn't it make sense for companies with bad ESLs, to hire US MTs who speak the dictator's mother language to do the transcription?
ESLs
If it makes you feel any better, I once worked part-time for a doctor in his office. I wanted to get back into a hospital setting so I gave him my notice. He couldn't understand what I loved about being an MT. He said, "At least I have the benefit of reading their lips." AND I was once transcribing for this absolutely miserable ESL one day, pretty much the way you described, and waiting for him to hang up. Instead he was chatting with someone when I heard "I don't know how they do it, but I give them a lot of credit." I had to rewind to make sure he was talking about transcription and he was. Not all of them are that sweet. I once had to show an English book and the BOS to an extremely arrogant ESL oncologist. I hope you had a little chuckle here and feel better!
ESls
That's why AAMT is no longer a valid entity for us. The standards have been lowered to accommodate the ESLS because they can't make a decent sentence and don't know how to convey what they did or did not do to the patient. How the hell are we supposed to read their minds???? Those who can speak English and demand verbatim get what they deserve. Just the other day, the doc gave a female who had a vasectomy. He was a verbatim ESL and he got exactly what he dictated. When enough of them get sued or reprimanded, maybe standards will return, but I have no doubt in my mind that ESLs have lowered the standards at the hospitals and that's why we no longer change the dictation to make it sound like they at least passed English class. When I started it was not verbatim. We edited to change context and not content. Hospitals should make it clear they either speak clearly, or write clearly, and failing both of those, they should hire a PA or someone who can dictate like it should be, and some of the PA's aren't much better.
ESLs sm
Once they know you're good at it, expect them to send you nothing but!
ESLs
Hey, we all were horrible at ESLs (and I have to be honest that I often still struggle myself), so don't feel bad about that is how it goes. :) Good luck to you.
Had it up to here with ESLs....
I used to be one of those conscientious MTs who went back and re-listened sometimes 2 and 3 times, because I hate to send blanks to QA. After this morning, NO MORE !!!! This particular ESL doesn't even say the complete word, only the first syllable which is mumbled and scrunched into the first syllable of the next word. From this moment on, I go through it once, proof it and off it goes. If it's shot full of holes, then so be it!!! I'm telling ya, Wal-Mart is looking better and better. UGH !!!!!
What about ESLs
who dictate 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, etc.? These people are prescribing medications and they can't even COUNT in English? I can see messing up and missing a number, but totally messing up like that? On more than one report?
If only the ESLs would be more
organized, be briefer, and pay attention and use normal phrasing instead of these long, awkward sentences they put together. They are strangely worded whether they are routine or made up on the fly. If only they would notice which phrases we can't understand and study the non-ELS dictators' short reports. If they could keep their reports short, we could knock them out much faster and be done with them.
ESLs
Speed up the dictation and listen carefully..then repeat by slowing down the speed. Think in terms of how the ESLs would transpose certain leters. What nationality is the dictactor? Example: S might actually be a T. Hope this helps. Good luck!
ESLs
I can totally relate. I get SO fustrated with some of these ESL dictators because like you say they cannot speak decent English. And yes I wonder how do they understand their patients? If they can't speak English properly can they just understand it when spoken to them? I cannot believe they actually have MDs either. I swear sometimes I sit and just curse when trying to figure out what they are saying. I am glad I am not the only one. I just feel like saying if you can't even speak where I can understand what you are saying then you don't need to be a doctor. I know being a doctor entails much more than speaking properly but geez they are terrible.
I do a lot of ESLs too and I can actually take
an Asian with a very thick accent and do him without any blanks at all, but then I get the fast talking, slurring, nonenunciating American born doc and I have problems. Even if I had a copy of his physical exam that he says the same every time I still would not be able to hear it because it is so slurred.
I recently started a new account and I have doctors with 13 or more letters in their last name and I just take a deep breath and prepare to have a difficult report, but they have no accent at all and then I get a Dr. John Smith and his accent is so strong that I have a headache and am cross-eyed when I get through his dictation.
Like it or not the ESLs are here to stay and you can learn to do them or you will find your options limited, especially if you do acute care.
ESLs
Yeah she made the comment let his own people figure out what he is saying. She said this out of fustration. I for one know how fustrating it is when you are struggling to understand what a dictator is saying. You just get so fustrated. It is our job to transcribe no matter if it is an ESL or American, that is true. That doesn't mean we can't get fustrated when we have to struggle to transcribe what they say.
Also I think she meant the MTs in India are the ones doing it for 3-4 cpl. That's why alot of outsourcing goes over there because they work much cheaper. I guess what I am trying to say is I understand your point. It is our job. But I understand hers too. It is very fustrating. :)
ESLs
You know that is a great way to look at it. I hope I gain something for all the struggle I have to go through to understand them. At least I will have gained some experience.
Not only the ESLs
We're being awful hard on ESLs, and alot of the defense for them is they are no worse (or possibly better) than poor-speaking English speakers. The bottom line is that if you are speaking for other people, you should speak clearly, regardless of where you are from.
ESLs
I have had a real difficult time with some ESLs too. But I was on an account where basically I could do them or not work. So I pretty much had to just do it. It got a little better the more I would hear the accents. And I mean a little. Do they provide you with samples for these ESLs? That often helps alot. Good luck!
ESLs
I totally agree with you. It is just as important to know how to speak it as write it if not more so in medicine. There is no excuse. It doesn't matter what nationality -- Latino, Indian, European, or Asian. It makes no difference. They should learn the language fluently to practice medicine. An accent is one thing. But just flat out not being able to communicate clearly. There is no excuse. And no you don't see ESL lawyers. At least I haven't. I am sure you will get some posts telling you you are racist or a bigot. But it won't be from me. And by no means do I have a problem with ESLs who are fluent speaking in English.
ESLs
I have one who says "please use inverted commas," which means (to you and me) quotation marks.
ESLs
I have also heard them refer to blood pressure as 120 by 80 for example. I don't know.
ESLs
You know you are just preaching to the choir. So what if they say 120 by 80. You are a professional. You should know what to put down. If you want to gripe about something, make it something that matters.
If ESLs want our $, should be able to
x
A lot of ESLs
I was told that they have a lot of ESLs so if you are ok with them you will probably like them.
You said VR does not get ESLs
but the platform I work on does them better probably than I could. I am totally amazed it can but it does.
ESLs
Well, fortunately for me, ESLs were my specialty because of my strong background in foreign languages, so I loved them when I was working. BUT I've known many excellent MTs, including my own sister, who had an extremely hard time with them and would literally weep, wail and gnash their teeth! And you're right, on some accounts, the great majority of dictators are (or were) ESLs. Why, I don't know. I retired at about the time when everything was starting to be sent offshore, a few years ago. I'm glad I was able to retire before our whole profession had gone down the tubes.
ESLs
Well, fortunately for me, ESLs were my specialty because of my strong background in foreign languages, so I loved them when I was working. BUT I've known many excellent MTs, including my own sister, who had an extremely hard time with them and would literally weep, wail and gnash their teeth! And you're right, on some accounts, the great majority of dictators are (or were) ESLs. Why, I don't know. I retired at about the time when everything was starting to be sent offshore, a few years ago. I'm glad I was able to retire before our whole profession had gone down the tubes.
Probably best for ESLs.
Or really anybody who can type better than they can dictate.
My PCP has a point-and-click system and during my visits the PCP spends most of the time typing comments into the space provided. I have a feeling that a lot of providers may quickly grow weary/frustrated with the constant typing/spelling/grammar when they should be seeing patients. I'd hate to see what their medical records look like.
ESLs
I have had my share of hard ESL doctors, but by far the worst dictators are English and just go too darn fast or speak sloppy.
Just a vent.
I have a note (discharge summary) that is 27 minutes long, dictated by RN, that goes into such detail that it might as well be the H&P, every consult, every operative report, and every lab report rolled into 1 document. She is even dictating problems the patient had on previous hospitalizations that have nothing to do with this admission. To make matters worse, she is jumping back and forth between prior problems (that aren't related) and current problems for the hospitalization, as well as listing every single lab test/values from all prior admissions and comparing them to this admission, as well as dictating the whole report for every x-ray the person ever had in this one report. The guy came in for nausea, vomiting, and dehydration and she's dictating x-ray reports for fractured ankle and rotator cuff MRI from 2 years ago...THE WHOLE MRI REPORT. Good gravy, missy. It's good to be thorough, but then too much information just confuses the reader. arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 
All better now. Thanks for letting me vent. 
sorry, need to VENT.
I have been working since 5:30 on itty bitty reports - so far I'm making less than minimum wage with all the crap I have to waste time on in the headers etc.....and my back is killing me.
I hate wasting my life like this.
OT: Cat vent!
I've already had enough problems working this weekend with technical problems and down time and now that I'm breezing away and making good money, what happens? My stupid cat decides she needs attention! First she rubs on my leg and purrs (so far so good, not really a distraction) but THEN she has to move to look at my face through the crack in my desk where the drop down keyboard rests and reach her stupid little paws through, hit the function key that saves and closes the report (which I cannot alter once it is sent through) on a report of over 100 lines!
ARRRRRGH!!! I was almost finished and needed to spell check it!!! That just cost me $10. Her food costs that much!
Anybody wanna a free soon to be hungry cat??
d~ 
need to vent
Is his boss willing to make things right by paying your husband's back salary for the months that he was unemployed? If so, I think hubby should consider going back to work for them (while searching for something else that pays better than what he is making now).
Need to Vent Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so mad at these big companies. I know this is has nothing to do with my job as a medical transcriptionist, but I just need to vent a little. My husband works for the government as a meat inspector and this "BIG" meat packing company just decided yesterday that it was going to up and close with no warning to any of the employees. It was just "At the end of the day, you will be out of a job." I cannot even begin to express my feelings for the workers at these plants. At least my husband still has a paycheck coming in from working for the government. Today, he is working in a plant that is a 6 hour drive from our home. We will probably be sent out to the east coast for relocation. We have 2 daughters that are in high school and a 3 year old that do not want to move. We have always lived in a very small community of 125 people in the Midwest. My daughters are so upset and I am just mad. How can a big company do this to its valued workers without caring? I am just missing my husband as I know he will be detailed out to just about every state until they decide where THEY want to put him. I AM SO MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would you put up with this? (Another vent)
I have worked with a company for over seven years as an IC. I work part time and whatever work I do that morning has to be turned in at 3:00, which gives me around a six hour turn around. I have two young kids and another account that I work on that has stats that I have to take care of too. I have only gotten one raise in seven years, and a crappy one at that. Every other company I have worked for gives me at least about 24 hours to get it back to them. I am trying to get my kids ready for school and I also have other things going on at the moment. I get an email in all caps "I NEED THE WORK NOW." I am just so fed up with this. I don't want to quit because the work is easy for me since I have been doing it so long, but I feel the need to put my foot down.
Don't use this to vent - I'm
simply asking a question and wondering what other people have dealt with. No need for "??!!! and get an attorney, etc." I know that. I'm just asking people for thier "experience" not their "opinion." Chill out.
Just a dh vent...
I'll try to make this to the point... ;o) My husband got bought out at the end of January so has been off work since then. His buyout will last us until about next January so for now he's enjoying the time with the kids. I on the other hand have gone from working very part-time to full-time, at home, "just in case" and to help pay off some debt while I've got Mr. Mom here home to take care of the kids.
For the most part, he's being excellent - doing the majority of the housework, all the cooking, taking care of the kids all day. My only gripe is he sleeps in until 9:30 every day while the kids (ages 4 and 7)are up at about 7:30-8. Mind you this is spring break for the 7 yo but when it's school time he gets him off to school and then goes back to bed. The kids play pretty well on their own but if they come into the bedroom he'll put the TV on for them. This leaving them on their own w/o even getting them breakfast and/or the TV thing drives me batty. I've been a wahm since my first one was born and always made them my priority (working around their schedule very part-time), getting up as soon as they got up, rarely turning the TV on to "babysit" them, etc. I feel like he's undoing what I spent years working so hard at.
Now I get up at 5 to go to the gym and then get my work done ASAP so that I can have time with the kids later as I'm finding it very difficult emotionally to be so unavailable during the day. This is making me even more resentful of my dh with him snoozing until 9:30 while I'm so tired a lot of the time. Then to top it off, he gets hurt that I'm usually too tired to be "interested" by 10 at night and I want to go to bed early... He supposedly understands that I'm tired but still is putting the guilt trip on me.
I know that a lot of this is my own resentments and largely there's nothing wrong with what he's doing and he needs to do things his own way with regards to the kids - I get that, but I'm still resentful. Any thoughts? Thanks for reading the novel and just letting me vent. So much for it being to the point!;o)
We all have to vent sometime
and it was just your turn. I think we have all had similar experiences with the frustration and lack of understanding by dh's about this type of work and how much it takes out of you. Good luck!
Need to vent. I'm fed up!
I am so sick and tired of day after day trying to figure out what in the heck these ESLs are saying. I'm tired of them preventing me from making a decent line count and making decent money. Why in the heck don't they learn English? From this day on I refuse to make any sense of what they are saying and will type verbatim, stutters, poor grammar and all! If the company I work for doesn't like it - then fire me. It's about time MTSOs put it back on the docs to better themselves and NOT us!. I've been doing this for over 6 years and it gets worse and worse.
Please do not reply with "I'm sure your ancestors were from another country, etc......" They were ----and--- now I was born here - AND I SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.
MTSOs want to send work overseas. Send all the ESLs. Also, when it comes time to me "editing" overseas work --- Ha-Ha.... that will definately be my LAST day on the job! Let the owners of the companies edit the overseas work and see how they like it.
Thanks all.
NEED TO VENT
Why on earth would a doctor prescribe physical therapy to strengthen a patient's muscles who is in the end-stages of myasthenia gravis? Money? A patient with nothing else to do but go to physical therapy? I don't get it. This group of doctors are a pain in the ***s. One has such a high incidence of infections in his surgical patients that I cannot believe he is still allowed to practice - and this one puts everyone into physical therapy - unless they are a 4-limb amputee. Does anyone know the # to the California Board of Medicine - because I think it is time to call them on this one - work or no work - I am sick of it. i feel better now.
NEED TO VENT
No, I am not a doctor and would not care to be one. But over the years I have seen so many cases go bad and with doctors policing themselves, very few ever suffer any consequences. My husband works with a doctor who was using cocainen while in surgery. At one point he was doing a prostate biopsy and passed out on the patient, jamming the needle through the prostate gland. The other doctors in the group encouraged him to get treatment or they would kick him out of the group. So, he got some rehab. The patient sued, thank God. But guess what, he is back in the operating room - snorting in the lounge before each case. The surgery center personnel are afraid of losing their jobs if they report him to the police, so he just goes on doing surgery under the influence. Perhaps my animosity comes from being abused by several different physicians at different times in my life - and regret at not reporting them. However, knowing the system, I realize that it is a losing battle. But, having been through these experiences I can spot these docs a mile away. Sorry if I offended anyone - but doctors are human and our lives are at stake, as well as the lives of others when a doctor practices bad medicine. I appreciate all of the input and understand your anger. I posted this more as a person than an MT. I just thank God for what I do know - and wish that there was a way to fix the problem of poor physicians, drug abuse in the medical world, and the patients that suffer at their hands.
Need to Vent
I didn't post anything yesterday - so I guess I am not the only one who has a problem with incompetent physicians.
need to vent
I have to disagree there. My husband's grandmother was very overweight (350 lb) and in a wheelchair. Home Health sent physical therapy out to help her walk again. She had severe osteoarthritis of the knees and hips. This was a total waste of time. She had not been out of a wheelchair in years and could not have supported her weight if she could have stood up, but they insisted. Medicare and her supplement paid the bill - I think a lot of times it all boils down to the money. She was active otherwise, painting, crafting, etc., she just couldn't and would never be able to walk again. She passed away last year and it took the fire department to get her out of the house in order to get her to the funeral home.
To need to vent
Don't be so quick to make judgments on those MDs. The patients might have a lot of infections because of a number of reasons. For instance, it might be bad nursing care at the hospital, patient noncompliance with wound care and medication, and the patients might have multiple medical problems interfering with their healing. With the epidemic of diabetes in this country, wound care centers are booming taking care of patients with slow healing wounds.
Maybe the physical therapy is prescribed to keep the patient as active and strong as possible - to give quality to his/her life. Keeping patients active and strong also helps control their blood pressure and blood sugar.
Just need to vent a bit....
Why is it that the doctors you know can speak perfectly perfect English...don't? This guy is slurring entire sentences and when I slow him down, he sounds drunk. And he doesn't even sound as if he is old enough to drink!
Thank you. Venting over. Have a good evening.
I'm sorry...I really need to vent about this...
My son just came home from a week-long beach trip with his dad. My son has three plantar warts on the bottom of his right foot. I have taken him to the doctor about this and was told to try the OTC remedies. I have been doing that, and was planning to take him back to the doctor this week actually because they have not gone away.
Anyway, my ex-husband took it upon himself to take a hot knife and attempt to BURN the warts off my 8-year-old son's foot. My son said it hurt very bad, and now he is limping on his foot. Now my son has a nasty looking depression on the bottom of his big toe that is very painful. It's pretty deep, but it's not bleeding at this time, although I'm sure that it was at some point, and my son confirms this. I have cleaned it and bandaged it and will be taking him to the doctor first thing tomorrow.
WHAT AN I-D-I-O-T!!!!!! I am the one who takes care of all of our son's medical care. He lives with me. I have primary custody of him. WHY OH WHY did he think he had the right or ability to do this?!?! Why didn't he call me first and consult with me about what I have been doing to treat the warts?!?!?!?
I have taken photographs and forwarded them to my attorney. It's a long story, but my ex is one of those people who thinks he knows everything...but really knows nothing.
Thanks, I just needed to get this off my chest.
Need to vent....
I am so angry and I need to vent. I work for a psychiatric facility and have been there for about three months now. I really enjoy working there and they have been very flexible with my schedule. Approximately 2 months ago, a temp was hired because we were so far behind. The person they hired did not have any experience whatsoever in medical transcription, but she was a fast typist so she was hired.
A couple of weeks went by and it was noticed that she was making quite a few errors. One of the other Transcriptionist e-mailed her to inform her of her errors and advised her to proof her work. She became so upset, she e-mailed a nasty letter back to this particular person. A few more weeks went by and a different transpcriptionist noticed she was still making these errors so she tried e-mailing her as well with basically the same response. Well last week I happened to come across one of her reports and noticed some errors that were totally unacceptable. For example, Licinopril, psychogenetic polydipsia, albuteral, ibuprophen, etc.
Anyway, I mentioned this to our supervisor and he asked that I correct the report and give him a copy so that he could go over it with her, which I did. I also brought in a book from the course I took a couple of years ago so that she may review it. She came in yesterday absolutely livid, she was slamming things around, speaking so loud that we could not hear the doctor and using the most foul language. I turned to her and asked if there was a problem to which she replied I was not talking to you! So I stated, in a very calm manner, then could you please keep it down as I cannot hear what the doctor is saying to which she replied that's too bad! She then proceeded to call our lead and left the room.
I started to think about the whole situation and could not believe how this person reacted. I called the supervisor at home and informed him of the problem at hand and told him I was on the verge of walking out as was the other transcriptiont. I told him this behavior was totally unacceptable and I would not tolerate it. Mind you, this was all because she was still making errors on her report. She felt people were talking behind her back. She does not want us (transcriptionists) to tell her of her errors. She wants us to speak with the lead, have him write the errors on a piece of paper, place it in an envelope and put it by her work area. Can you believe this? Who does she think she is?
Well a couple of hours ago, my lead called to get my side of the story. I told him exactly what happened to which the other transcriptionist can attest to. He stated he would speak with her but that the next time there was a problem with a partiular report, we are to bring it up to him or our supervisor (which I thought I did). I totally feel she should be reprimanded and that this behavior should not be tolerated by anyone, but it looks like she is just going to be "spoken to." I am so angry and upset, I literally feel like giving my two weeks notice, but then again, I do not want to give her the satisfaction. I really enjoy what I do but I am afraid if this type of behavior occurs again, I will not be able to hold my tongue as it took every bit of strength in me not to *******, well you know.
Sorry this was so long, I needed to vent. I know I probably made 100 mistakes on this post, but I am very upset at the moment.
Need to vent!!!
ARGGGHHH!! I have a TASP that I use for my clinic account and this clinic account dictates every day, even holidays. I never get a break. However, this weekend, the TASP "misplaced" my dictation voice files. I have not had any dictation since Friday, 09/01. I e-mailed them over the weekend and I heard nothing from them regarding what was going on with my files. Now, just a minute ago I received an e-mail stating that they files would become available over the next hour! They have compromised the TAT for my account, put me in a work bind because now all those files are going to need to go back right away to the clinic, etc., etc. Any advice on how I should handle this with the TASP? I think they are not providing good service and is this possibly a HIPPAA violation? I am not sure..any input would be greatly appreciated! TIA
Just have to vent.....
I just have to vent. This doctor is chewing in my ear and talking at the same time. I can feel my blood pressure rise as she talks. Don't they realize how annoying this is, not to mention rude. I think colleges should make all doctors take a course in the proper way to dictate. Sometime I think chewing in the ear is worse than a bad ESL.
Thanks for listening. Back to work. I sure hope her lunch is over soon!!!!
Just another vent
I have a particular ESL who always smacks food while she is talking and says "and" about five times per sentence. If this isn't bad enough, she is the one ESL who makes zero effort to spell anything, not medication, allergies, etc. She tends to get into conversations with other people around her and starts laughing hysterically while talking, but of course she does not repeat the sentence she just laughed right through. Please excuse typos, I am so irritated right now
sure we can vent about anything we want to--sm
I can vent that I never volunteered to work today. I expected to have off until Monday, after having worked all last weekend to make up for it. I was given work today anyway, but I am doing it. I don't like it, but it is a job and it is money in my pocket, and not at any overtime or time and a half either. I don't get extra for holidays or weekends. But I am thankful that I at least have a job I can count on. Maybe, knowing that you had volunteered to work, you should not have planned a big family get together at the same time. That is way too much to attempt to do, no matter what kind of reports you were given to do. JMO. I hope you have a nice holiday, anyway.
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