I assigned single letters to very common labs SM
Posted By: MissIndigo on 2008-07-16
In Reply to: Expansions for numbers/lab values - Okay, so I'm not a rocket scientist
For instance, i is for calcium (i just because I wasn't already used it for abbreviations with low-range numbers). Calcium 10.3 would be i103. Creatinine 0.7 is e07, e used for the same reason. I like it.
10-20 red cells is 1020rc and 10 to 20 red cells is 1020rc', but I'm not crazy about it. The "tttrc" I used to use was just as basic but better; I just wanted a system that would be memorable and allow me to enter lots of values without conflicting with other abbreviations. Maybe someone will offer a good system so I can change without bothering to think about it. :)
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As a rule, I prefer that ESL docs not spell because a lot of times they misprounce single letters
and for me, it's just more annoying. But that's just a testament to how each MT is different in their preferences.
What I used to do, is if I had an ESL that was particularly difficult for me. I would do my best, leave blanks, and have QA listen and fill in the blanks. Then I would go back and re-listen to the dictation with the correct report in front me. That way you get kind of a feel for the dicator's accent and you can see how he pronounces or mispronounces certain sounds and words. I found it very helpful.
Labs...
It's been 2 years since we had to put down our 2-1/2-year-old chocolate Lab. Gosh, that boy was a part of our family and it was so tragic. He had epilepsy, then congenital hyperlipidemia which caused recurrent pancreatitis, and finally developed megaesophagus which was the hallmark symptom of myasthenia gravis. He was so weak he could hardly get up anymore, and could no eat in the last day or two. We had no choice. It was an awful day, having to tell our 2 little girls who literally howled with crying. Something about those Labs.. I have such a soft spot for that breed.
Labs
I am looking for a pup to replace my chow chow who had to be put down last Thurs. He was 13 though and one of the best watch dogs ever. Now, I want something gentle.
Since when are CTs listed under labs?
 This company is something else. Maybe they would have more work if the editing staff could make up their minds. For months I have been putting CT/PET scan results under "Imaging" with other places "Radiographs". Was told by someone in QA it goes under labs? Okay, my mother works for a mircobiology lab -- they test blood, urine and tissue samples. Never have I heard of someone getting their CT scan from the lab! The lab is not the source of radiographic data to my knowledge. Did I miss something here?????????
I found great headphones, GRADO LABS
Grado Labs SR60. I put a more detailed note down below, where I had asked for help with headphones. I love them. Great sound, comfortable, you forget they are on. I can just type and forget about the sound, such a relief. Like the olden days.
Found great headphones- GRADO LABS SR60
Thanks to all you who replied. At my local MAC store I found they had a display you could listen to the earphones. I bought GRADO LABS SR60, as the sound was good and they sit entirely outside your ear with BIG round ear pads.
When I got them home, the sound was GREAT for transcribing. Thank the Lord. Really. It was just like the old days, when I COULD TYPE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THE SOUND. I did change settings on my sound card--it has an equalizer-- to New Wave or something, it seemed the best, and put the Wave file way down, and adjusted the volume on the speakers, and I was very happy.
I read on someone's review, some audio guy on the net, that Grado SR60's have not as much bass as the higher number models. But for transcription that is good.
Well, from my lips to God's ears, just in time, I am so happy. Really, I have bought a lot of headphones trying, but they have all been cheap. These are not that expensive, but they were great. The Bose were very good sound, but for transcribing, I did not think I'd like them. Plus they were heavier on the ears, more of a conventional fit around the ears and put pressure on the head. Another great thing about the Grado, they have a metal top piece that goes over the head -covered with leather or fake leather--the audio website said, you can rest that on the top of your head and take away some of the pressure on your ears. That helps relax and pretty soon you don't notice them, like with other headphones fighting all the time to keep them in position.
Thanks to all. Hope this helps someone. The sound is great.
As everyone said, you have to have it assigned back to you...(sm)
It's actually not a part of ExText that you do it in. The program that handles the voice jobs is Dictaphone's JobLister. Not only would you have to have the rights to access it, you would have to have the program loaded on your pc. This is, with most companies, only given to team leads and QA.
I have always had an access # assigned....
If you could get into a records system without a private passcode, that would be a major HIPAA situation! I always have a sign-in ID asigned by the facility for any C-phone account I have worked; but it is strange that you are hearing a beep and not an operator giving instructions. I've never had that situation before. If you don't have an account Lead you can contact to get help, I'm thinking you'd best tell your employer this isn't working! Good luck.
being assigned same dictators
does help you get to know them so you can get fast with them and set up macros and auto-text but when are these MT companies going to realize that and quick putting us in pools? I realize they have to have their accounts covered 24-7 but this is no way to make money and really increases your chance of errors. It would be beneficial for both MT and the company to assign us our own dictators. There are only really a few companies out there who do this.....what a shame!!!
how is your work assigned?
I just started with a new company and very frustrated with how they handle work assignments. I'd like to hear from other MTs how they feel about it and how they are assigned their work. I have always been assigned a specific amount of work each day or worked a specific amount of hours. When my time was up or my jobs were done, then I was done for the day. This new company is doling out work in a very unusual way. It is a clinic Ortho account and she assigns work as it comes in, which is understandable. But if I happen to be gone for an hour or so and she gets work in, she will assign it to another MT who can do it right then and there. I have asked her to send me a whole gob of work each evening so I've got work that will last me the next day. She refuses to do it that way so I end up sitting here all day long waiting on her to e-mail me saying, "I've sent you a few files." And so far that's all it's been, a FEW files. Nothing I can't finish in under 30-45 minutes. This is just ridiculous but the line rate is so good that I am hesitant to try to find something else. Anybody else have this problem?
assigned work
Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I have the same problem. But I have an acute care backup account to work on. I prefer the other account though because I am used to it. It sounds like we work for the same company. LOL. When I get the clinic it is sent like you said as it comes in and sometimes if another MT is available she will send it to them. I work on a clinic general surgery account. And I wished they would let me do the accounts work exclusively. But no it is given to one MT one time and another the next time. But I have the backup account so I can't complain but that is how they do the clinic work.
Assigned accounts....sm
There's a lot to be said for "assigned jobs" if it's done on a fair basis and if the person doing the assigning doesn't have their own agenda, i.e, where the "Lead MT" does the assigning of jobs as well as having to get her own lines in. Who do you think is going to get the best dictations?? Do you think she/he will assign the good, easy dictations to the MTs on a fair basis and keep the lousy, crappy, ESL dictations for herself ? Come on! For the most part, management doesn't give a hoot as long as work gets done and is kept within TAT. 
Champ and Addie (black labs); Mamma, Sally, and Bubba (cats); and Tom the snake (Ball Python).
x
How can you tell if you're being assigned certain jobs or not? sm
It seems to be as if I've been getting mostly the yucky dictators for a while now, with some good ones being thrown in here and there. I know a while back with this company (been here 1-1/2 years), I noticed a good change with getting assigned same clinics (clinic acct., obviously). It was even brought up at a phone conference, and the VP acknowledged they'd changed tactics and were assigning accts. as opposed to just letting us all in the pool. Said it was a good change for the company, and we MTs agreed as well.
But, for the last couple of months or so, I've noticed a downward trend in my dictators, and the job numbers aren't in order, just here and there, even different clinics popping in and out. I emailed the Account Liason and asked her if there was something going on here, and she said she didn't know, she'd have to check with the MT supervisor. She then came back & said no, there's been no change or assignments (which I reminded her the VP herself had said there was), and that I was just getting the luck of the draw.
However, something I'd read on this board got me to thinking. If these people in the position to control these jobs, such as the AL and who all else, are also typing and getting paid by the line, naturally they could pull in all the good jobs themselves. If they do get paid by production, I don't think they should be able to control the ques at all.
I just don't know whether to pursue this line of questioning or not, since I'd already tried once, and I'm not 100% sure of myself, just suspicious. Like, the other accts. jobs that are thrown in between while working on one clinic is usually a bad one.
Any advice/suggestions would be appreciated.
Also, should I ask for a line-rate increase? I've been here 1-1/2 years and am making the same as I started, .08/line.
ask them about your assigned (or not) doctors - be careful with KS
also, no auto backup with Lanier footpedal, can only work when Lanier is available.
Well we are individually assigned work...sm
The manager assigns the work out to each individual MT so I am wondering how much work the other MTs are getting on the account.
It was simply the work from your assigned accounts.
More of our work is transcription based rather than ASR. However, we are in a training initiative so all employees will be prepared for handling ASR.
Are you using a Cphone? Don't the files keep feeding into your que or are you assigned? You'll
s
I do have assigned accounts and even those I can't get back within 24-48 hours at end of week. s
I think I need to have on-call coverage to help, but I don't have much time to train...I sometimes just think it takes less time to do it myself than to train someone new, but I'm just tired of working all the time. If I could find people who have so much experience that they can just be able to work and get it right by having a sample report and a template...hard to believe, but not everyone can do that....Also need a c-phone to access work on my system.
This is becoming the normal, unfortunately. To get assigned docs & accts. makes for good line
s
Common phrases. LOTS of common phrases, just like ops. SM
pser = the patient was seen in the emergency room
wwd= the wound was dressed
Just two tiny examples. People need to learn to use their Expander programs. I'd be making like $10 per hour without mine. I also work in a job where I do the work type I do best. That's very important. I would imagine (don't know for sure) that H&Ps and DSs have the most lines (I work on a gross line count) but you have to think more, look up more, and type more to get those lines.
I have everything magicked in there. That's the way I like it, that's the only way I will work.
I assume you are assigned number much like a license number that can be verified through the AAMT.
Beyond that, I have no idea.
Regarding letters
We have an account with our national where all the consults are dictated in letter format. So for every single consult we get we have to look up the correct names, spelling, and addresses for the referring physicians because the dictators never give them. Once we get them we can save them in autotext, but it's still a pain to have to look them all up.
No letters
My daughter could not use my computer because of no letters left on the keyboard.
three letters: CTS
some of us CAN'T do much else at this point. I can't even write anymore!! And we blessed, fortunate ICs don't qualify for disability pay or unemployment... so yes, it's upsides and downsides, but in the end, right now I'm facing having to quit MT and I have NO idea what to do for a living, at the tender age of 36, and, with the pay cuts and such, no money to invest in an education. So please try to have some compassion... not all bellyaching is unfounded.
Think again - big letters at top saying
Not to post there unless you work for MQ
letters sm
The written word can come back to bite you. Be careful what you say. If they care enough, they'll ask and then you can verbalize. Otherwise, it will become part of your permanent record. Don't say anything to make them angry, One never knows down the road when you will have to list them in your past employment history. Sometimes we would like to pour our hearts out but it would depend on what you have to say. I once wrote a note which was not really that bad but everyone in the company said I left a scathing letter which was totally untrue. The less you put in writing, the better, IMHO.
for me, the only ones that letters don't rub off....
and on the back of mine it does say Key Tronics.......
Use a name that is 4 letters or more and you get the... sm
AutoComplete tip box showing your entry, then you can press F3 or enter to expand it. Make sure the first 4 letters of the name are not the same as the first 4 in another entry or Word won't know which one you want and no tip will appear. You can use less than 4 letters in the name but no tip appears. You'd have to remember it and hit F3.
Just remember that AutoText only works in Word and you might want to think about a true text Expander that works in all of your programs. You can also bog down your normal.dot file if that is where you choose to save AutoText and you will be at high risk of corrupting the file. Make sure you keep a backup.
You have a lot in common with him then
for what's making you so angry about your own poor life choices.
We have something in common
I also had a hysterectomy at 28, but my ovaries were gone at 27. It was hell for the first 6 weeks but I went on the hormone therapy...then came the first warnings about taking them, so I stopped them. I still have night sweats once in a while, but I can live with it. Now that I'm in my late 50s, seems my body wants to do it all over again. I'm getting hot flashes and all the other goodies that come with the change. Hey! What's going on here???
common among
I mean, 18 YO girls having breast implants, nose jobs...come on, that's for looks and nothing more. But hey, if you can afford it, don't mind pain, and it makes you feel better about yourself, I say go for it...I'd love to have a boob lift... can they do that?
Not only is it not common.
x
it is very common that many MDs.....NM
Yes, very common that PAs are some of the
most horrible dictators. I also find they routinely murder drugs and dosages, diagnoses, etc. Really cringe when I get PA dictations, and, though I am of the same gender, usually the awful ones are women, and really do come across with an attitude - at least via audio! 
Yep, it can be and is quite common!
I did my first year of transcription on a laptop with external keyboard and mouse.
Can be very common
I've been struggling to find the right fit for a very long time. I try not to put all eggs in one basket because even good MTSOs can lose their accounts - on the other hand finding two or more accounts to work with concurrently is a huge pain -While payment on time is paramount for me too (I have no parents to borrow from :( but so are: a decent platform, fair and competent management, and consistent work flow. You are lucky if you get 2 out of 4. But many will post a different experience (4 out of 4) so you must take all this with a large grain of salt.
You might want to consider supplementing a job as a teacher with a part-time opportunity as an MT - the best of both worlds. Of course, you could offer the MTSO you currently have the opportunity to remedy the paycheck problem before losing you (get your back up set up first though... :)
common
I applied at a hospital for a office job. The position had already been filled. They called me back and asked if I was interested in working in the kitchen washing dishes. Of course this was not my first choice as far as jobs go, but I really needed the job. I took it part time. The day after that I was offered a part time office job at an insurance company. I took that one too. The insurance company was wonderful, and I was able to work the two jobs around each other. In a few months a temp office job opened up at the hospital, because I was on the inside, I was one of the first people to know of the job opening. Hospitals usually hire from the inside first. If they do not fill the job, they advertise it to the public. I do not think that you were being insulted in any way. I guess how you look at it mostly depends on how bad you need a job. When you have to have one, any job looks good. Sometimes we are lucky enough to be in a position to be picky.
It's more common
The only thing I would warn about is that the part-time job especially be as hassle-free as possible. In other words, a long turn around time, supervisor leaves you alone, easy to make lines, fewer ESLs, etc. Otherwise, trust me, you'll dread it. On the bright side, if you're spending a few hours a day watching TV and would rather spend that time earning money, it's a lot less stress when you don't have to pinch every penny and tell your kids "I can't afford it".
8 cpl common at MQ
I've been with MQ a total of five years with a 99.7% QA consistently. I started at 8 cpl and I'm leaving at 8 cpl.
It's very common now
When each hospital had their own radiologist, they were read immediately. But to save money, they now contract outside services and send the films electronically and in most hospitals, none are read over the weekend at all. What's shocking to me is most don't even have staff to do a CT or MRI on the weekend or evenings either and that floors me because we all know patients come in who need one or the other all the time. I went in on a Friday to have a CT done and they told me it wouldn't be ready until Tuesday. It's all money money money.
As soon as I started doing letters...
I would fly like the wind. That is what hourly paid secretaries are for! Good luck in finding something else, but do like I do... let them know from the gitgo I WILL NOT DO CORRESPONDANCE! 
Despise letters! UGH...nm
.
DS, H&P, CONS, letters
are the basics. Doing OPs is another level up
letters for keyboard
there's a place called Gold Violin (1-877-648-8400) or www.goldviolin.com that has a set of letters (1-black letters and the other one white) that you can buy for about $10. they're enlarged too which makes it easier as well to see, if you've got that problem. i got a set and just haven't taken the time yet to clean up my keyboard to put them on. i love my cordless Logitech keyboard and mouse as well. i like the touch on my keyboard as well so don't want to buy another one just because the keys wore off, so this fit the bill for me.
Consult Letters
Hello, does anybody know how consult letters are like? Are they long and difficult?
i enter the first 4 letters...sm
Every time I come to a drug I enter the first four letters of the drug in Autocorrect, capping it if needed. I think this is quicker than sitting down and entering a bunch at once.
It's like the chain letters you may have
received where there is a numbered list of people included and you add your name to the list, subtract a name from the list, all names on the list now are shifted and thus have a different number on the list that you create than on the list that you received, and then you send a dollar (or other amount . . . in this case, a pair of flip-flops) to each person that was on the list that you received. The people that you send your letter to are instructed to do the same, and so you wind up receiving (if the "chain" is not broken) money/items from each person that receives the letter that has your name on it (before you are "bumped" from the list).
Letters/envelopes
These are a pain. I worked an account like this and I hated it. What kind of lines can you get typing letters all day, especially when you have to worry about looking up addresses and if you do not live in the area of the hospital/clinic - forget it. The co. I was ICing for lost the account that was like this - and now I am on a much better account - love it - and doing editing.
Do you have to see the letters to type? Should
x
letters/addresses
Can someone tell my how to format a letter so that the Dr.s address in the letter will automatically show up in the envelope box without having to add the envelope to the document?
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