Here is an example of the communication/language barrier
Posted By: at its finest on 2006-01-26
In Reply to: I sent an email to Joint Commission - I'm sick of them
My ex-husband had the flu, high fever and it was not getting better. He was quite ill. He went to his physician, a foreign physician with heavy accent. My ex tried to explain how sick he was. The doctor rx'ed antibiotic and sent him home. That night, my ex had a high fever and went into a seizure. Paramedics were called. He was still seizuring by the time they reached his home. He came into the hospital with bilateral acute renal failure due to the infection and high temp.
When I spoke to him, he said it was clear the physician did not appreciate how ill he was and the language barrier was limiting their ability to talk to one another. My ex was so ill, he didn't feel like being assertive. He should have been hospitalized. But, that is too late now. His kidneys never regained function and now he sits with millions of others waiting for a donor at UCLA.
Heartbreaking, isn't it?
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English may not be the official language on the federal level, but it is the NATIONAL language. sm
From Wikipedia:
Although the United States has no official language at the federal level, English is the national language.
In 2003, about 215 million, or 82 percent of the population aged five years and older, spoke only English at home. Spanish, spoken by over 10 percent of the population at home, is the second most common language and the most widely taught foreign language.[139][140] Immigrants seeking naturalization must know English. Some Americans advocate making English the country's official language, as it is in at least twenty-eight states.[141] Both Hawaiian and English are official languages in Hawaii by state law.[142] Several insular territories also grant official recognition to their native languages, along with English: Samoan and Chamorro are recognized by Samoa and Guam, respectively; Carolinian and Chamorro are recognized by the Northern Mariana Islands; Spanish is an official language of Puerto Rico. While neither has an official language, New Mexico has laws providing for the use of both English and Spanish, as Louisiana does for English and French.[143]
P.S. Miami may be one of the largest cities, but it is still just one city located in one small state. There are 49 other states. Miami is just a small speck when you compare it to the rest of the United States.
Go to tools, language, set language--nm
//
MQ communication
You had fast communication? I could never get an answer from anybody anywhere, although the I-mail system did work better before!
No communication here either!
I think this was a good company until the consultants took over. It just seems to go downhill every time I think I want to give them another chance. I have emailed several things lately and no response from them. I emailed a question after the last conference call and it was not answered in the generic one they sent or sent to me personally. I have sent two more and no answer. I ask for examples no answer. I still am waiting for examples from about 4 months or more ago. They used to be so good about it. I also agree work is low. I went part time so it does not affect me as much, but I am looking to go back full time and do not know if that is possible with them nor if I want to!! Very frustrating!!!!!!!
Communication
I am frazzled. How can a company go from sending nasty e-mail to the employees to no communiation whatsoever. I feel like this ship is sinking and I want to jump off. Don't even ask who it is and no it is not OSi for a change, the other one.
Add Communication
.
Etransplus and communication
I started with them about 2 weeks ago. When I started I got a 60 second tour on how to use the system. I received 3 samples of work and no account information. I had to BEG to get the account specifics and that took about another week. Nobody answers emails, including the lead on the account. The account I was given is great and the system easy to use, but what's with the lack of communication? I have another interview today that was to be for a part-time job but I may take another one full time just because of the communication.
Poor communication
I think it is very interesting and would make wonder why she was fired. Sounds to me like someone with poor management skills, who was communicating bad information as they were not happy in their job.
I have been typing operative reports on the DQS for over a year now. My office has never treated me like I am a "dime a dozen".
try studying COMMUNICATION
lol
Lack of communication?
I recently was hired for a national MTSO and was wondering if this was typical for most companies who hire you as an employee. They train you, tell you who your supervisor is, turn you loose on your account, and after that you are hard pressed to get in contact with your supervisor, or anyone for that matter, for questions. I had questions about:
1) how to fill out my timesheet, a) when to submit it, b) how the pay period runs - all I got was a sample copy and told to submit it on such-and-such day.
2) questions on formatting that were not in the AI sheet - no response either by E-mail, IM and lack of contact phone number other than the 1-800 office number.
3) Two days into the job - ran out of work on both primary and back-up account. Response - "sorry, we're just slow." and not by my supervisor, by another company associate as my supervisor was nowhere to be found. Never heard from the supervisor again. Haven't bothered to log back in to work.
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and is it typical. Do not want to mention the MTSO, but it is a well-known national.
frustrated.
Sorry, don't know what you mean. I don't have a communication board?
Yes, I usually got pretty good communication. NM
nm
Good communication, appropriate feedback...
a decent cpl, and enough work to meet line requirements. In my case, I want to produce quality work for a fair wage, not be expected to type my fingers to the bone, and most importantly, I want to be treated like a real person, not some unknown, somewhere out there transcriptionist! My goal is top notch work, not piling up stacks of cash.
It was so nice to have fast communication. I miss it. NM
NM
Communication is great. Last I heard in a newsletter
was Liz was back in the office part time,Jason was general manager, and altho Liz was prior owner, there was nothing about her being a general manager.
Ok, last time it was posted was in March, but when were the last 3 picked?
Are you all ever going to do anything about cherrypicking?
Good communication, help with problems, trust -
and when one employee does something wrong, address that employee, don't email everyone as if everyone was guilty. It gets so depressing when all you hear is complaints. By the same token, when someone does something right, when an account is happy with their work, let the Transcriptionist know. All we get is bad feedback, what mistakes we've made. Most of us are pretty isolated - would be nice to have positive reinforcement for a change.
good communication; trust on both sides; and --sm
not doing everything possible under the sun to cut the transcriptionists line counts at every turn. I get REALLY irritated with that. I need to make a living too.
has nothing to do with the race, but rather the communication gap when dealing with my own medical n
I pay a premium for through my health insurance coverage. I want clear communication with my physician. Please do not throw the racial aspect in, as it has absolutely no bearing on the point at hand. In fact, my gynecologist is Asian, but she has taken the time to learn our language because she chose to practice medicine here.
COMMUNICATION+TRUST = LONG HAPPY MARRIAGE
Good lord. Why is it when someone does not want to do something with their spouse it is "assumed" another woman and/or man involved? If he just started working and is probably working hard, long shifts etc, maybe he just wants a day to himself to sleep, lounge do whatever. Call and talk to him and tell him how you feel. Maybe he is the cautious type (I know my husband is), but maybe he just didn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you he just wanted to sleep/lounge/have a day for himself.
I am sure he misses you and the kids, but I am sure he is also tired.
You also said in your post you trust him 110%. Then trust him. Let him know how you feel, but respect him and don't go see him. Yes, you are an adult and no you do not need his permission, but you are his other half, you need to respect him (and vice versa).
Good luck and don't pay attention to the negative posts.
Open, easily approachable, and true communication is key.
.
Problems as in communication?? If so, I'm soooo there. Sick of unanswered emails. No one cares
Nothing to do with your first language, of course. nm
s
language
Language skills are definitely at the top - I agree. So many outsiders think all we do is type and memorize a few terms. Makes me crazy sometimes to think we are being looked down upon for, quote - just typing, how hard can that be?
P.S. I hate it that we cannot put quotations in our posts!!
OP does not say who had the language
barrier, the doctor or the patient. Just because she is a white American female does not mean she speaks English.
These ESL's speak more than their own language, sm
many are fluent in several languages. They also pay income taxes at the same rate as USA-born doctors. Until you can speak their language as well as they can speak ours, have some compassion for their efforts, and be glad that you have a job. There are ESLs wherever you go. Better get used to it. Or better yet, why don't you travel to a country where you don't speak the language. It might humble you a bit when you see how difficult it is.
English Language
Amen to that!!!
I live in South Florida and you may as well call it a foreign country. I asked a clerk at local Walmart for Phiso-dem...she had me write it on her notepad she carries around, because she doesn't speak English!!!!
English as a Second Language
nm
foul language
I meant to reply to Tomahawk's post. If you scroll down a few to MQ, you will see what I a referring to.
Should have said English as a FIRST language. LOL
x
So, English is a second language..LOL!
How can someone get a job doing this kind of work without knowing English? Just amazes me!
AT&T language line
Hospitals can set up an account with the AT&T language line. You call the number, give your account code and tell them what language you need. They have tons to choose from and they are available in real time. You have to use a speaker phone so the patient, translator and care provider can all hear each other. Some 911 dispatch centers use it too.
Sometimes the default language gets (sm)
changed on a document when I am typing and I have to go back in and reset it to English. I notice this when my autocorrect entries do not work and I know that I have them in the file. It only happens every once in a while and I have to "select all" and then change the language back to English. Hope this helps in the future.
LOL We have no'national' language!
and if you don't believe me, visit Miami sometime, one of the largest cities in the U.S.
National Language
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt
learning another language
It isn't that I wouldn't like to learn another language if I had the time. I would. It would be neat to be able to speak another language, but I don't. And it makes me fustrated when immigrants come here and expect me to know their language when they are the ones who came here. They should know proper English. Or just decent English. If I moved to South America I would not expect them to understand me. I would take it upon myself that if I wanted to communicate I need to learn good Spanish. And if I had a job where I did something such as dictating, I would make sure I knew decent English and tried to make myself understandable. Some ESLs act like they don't care if you can understand them or not. There ARE some who try though.
Wow...so know we have to learn your language as well.
-
If you think that's 'foul' language, you don't
Get over it.
I think learning the language
and losing the accent are not quite the same thing... many of the ESL doctors speak English quite well, and may have been studying English for years in school. After a certain age, the accent is very difficult to lose. Some people have more of a talent for this than others. I know, makes it hard for the MTs.. but part of the job. Not saying they shouldn't try to improve... I study another language, but I am always going to have an American accent.
I think learning the language
and losing the accent are not quite the same thing... many of the ESL doctors speak English quite well, and may have been studying English for years in school. After a certain age, the accent is very difficult to lose. Some people have more of a talent for this than others. I know, makes it hard for the MTs.. but part of the job. Not saying they shouldn't try to improve... I study another language, but I am always going to have an American accent.
English is not the national language sm
America is a melting pot and English is not and should not be the national language. I'm Native American and while I'm not happy about the influx of immigrants - which I'm sure your ancestors were - America is a melting pot and at one time English was the 'second language' around here and others had to adapt.
Deal with it. America is a safe haven and refuge for other countries. Why was it okay for your ancestors to come here but it's not okay for others to come here?
Medical Language Specialist
That is our title, Medical Language Specialist, which really throws people. When asked to define what that is, tell them you translate medical dictation to document form, be it hard copy document or electronic docment, to provide pertinent medical information for patients, physicians and hospital staff. See their reaction. 
Of course when they say "all you do is type," ask them to spell esophagogastroduodenoscopy as an example of the terminology you use. That usually shuts them up. (Smile)
"The Language of Medicine" sm
is a very good book and very thorough. I would recommend it highly.
ESLs are about 60-70% of the dictators, we as language
With this particular doc did you just guess, or did you leave blanks? How many times did you listen? Did you ask for help? They all basically have the same or similar awful accents, so in the beginning you need to take the time to really listen and get to know the accent, that way in the future you can zip through them. What did you do to make them fire you, what was the mistake exactly?
At least most of them speak English as a first language, eh.
Except the Francophones/Quebecois. Plus, they're not undercutting us on wages.
Pas DE probleme!
Are there many American MTs whose first language isn't English? nm
nm
language was being discussed - not just plead
French 1st Language dictators
My take is that you are both correct and mistaken. People with French as their mother tongue can be both challenging and reliable to transcribe in English. The challenging part is the omission of certain sounds that are normal to the English-attuned ear. The reliable part is that the differences one hears are usually SO predictable. I belive that with more info I can help you even with your specific problem.
Assault on the English Language
I transcribe for a doctor who I think may be Russian, but anyway, he has lived in this country (USA) for many years and has not taken the time to learn to speak succinctly. As a matter of fact, he seems to be dyslexic on top of the heavy accent and often phrases words backwards, does not know how to speak concisely, and I am thinking whoever has the misfortune of reading his HNP's is going to think he is a real Dip (even after editing). Even our editors have a real challenge getting through his work. I wish I could shake the snot out of him and require that every ESL physician practicing in America be required to speak the English language fluently.
ESL just means English as second language.
x
Doesnt matter how many language I know.
x
Doubt I know our language"perfectly" but you
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