IMO, you violated a patient's confidentiality by even posting about this - that you transcribed t
Posted By: Cali girl on 2007-06-21
In Reply to: Report on SNL Weekend Update - bewildered
I know you didn't give any personal info, but even mentioning this in a public forum on the "world wide web" - I don't know, I would consider that a violation of medical record confidentiality. I know some may post a sentence or a blooper or something, but this is probably something I would have kept to myself... I am sure you thought what an interesting coincidence when you show the show, but my opinion is you should have kept it to yourself, and if I was the transcription supervisor at your hospital and I found out you had posted on this.... well I would think that would be reason for discipline. No offense meant, just my opinion.
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- Report on SNL Weekend Update - bewildered
- IMO, you violated a patient's confidentiality by even posting about this - that you transcribed t - Cali girl
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Patient confidentiality
I remember when I first started out in MT in a hospital part of medical records confidentiality agreement was that we only had access to records on an as needed basis and were not to be talking to anyone about the things we transcribed even if it was a relative, family member, etc. That was gee now close to 10 years ago.
I know like others on the board, it would be nice to know what EMR will mean for all of us. If we are to be out of jobs, I would sure like to know now so that I can start planning financially. Also, as I have been searching for more information on implementation of EMRs, the more I get concerned myself about my personal information possibly being spread. Given my still rather young age of 31 and having no medical conditions requiring medical attention/medication, it really makes me wonder if I may want to look more into alternative medical care or a private physician who has alternative medicine in addition to medicine as we currently know it.
Has a HIPPA law been violated by my ex coworker?
I am a radiology MT and worked at the hospital who did my chest x-ray and lab work after I was given a dx of breast CA on Tuesday. I had been given Xanax which I took and was in a sheer panic because I am afraid .
The woman MT I worked with at the radiology dept and I have kept in touch. I told her as I was being worked up (did not tell her I had CA as she has a big mouth) to let me know if she does my chest x-ray and let me know if it is abnormal. I then went into the surgeons office where he had been a faxed of the chest x-ray with the CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS: Breast cancer. on the top. When I returned home, I had an e-mail from her that was an exact cut and paste of my chest x-ray with the exception that CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS: Breast cancer. had been cut from the copy. She has since stopped all contact with me and now I fear that the entire MT dept and hospital I worked in for two years with know I am suffering from this without my telling them.
I feel hurt and violated because she knew before I wanted her to (she typed the report I saw but mostly because she has stopped corresponding with me after seeing that I had breast CA. When I was being worked up, she said my bad lifestyle was the culprit. She herself has never had a mammogram and refused to see doctors (7th Day Adventist).
Am I wrong for feeling this way? Have rules been broken? Shouldn't she have asked for my wrritten authorization before placing my chest x-ray report in an e-mail. and saying "good job" with reference to teh normal chest I guess (although the words "Breast CA" definitely negated that - it was almost as if she did not want me to know she knew.
I am so confused right now and have no family members or even close friends so I cannot tell if what I am thinking is even accurate. The Xanax and Prozac are not helping along with major anxiety.
Any feedback from astute MTs would be appreciated. Thank you.
Vietnam sound bites..But either way, war was absolutely NOT illegal. He violated
x
What about EMR and confidentiality? sm
Have a bad neighbor who is a CNA (the worst-behaved person, drinks, yells, swears all day) and she now has access to medical records at a hospital. Someone was in the hospital anonymously but she proudly announced she "found" them and what was wrong with them, etc. How are we going to prevent people working in hospitals or nursing homes, etc., from accessing ours or our loved ones medical records? I see one heck of a mess here! My doc went EMR and now I am very careful what I say to him, some things I should tell him, I do not because I don't want it read by the whole neighborhood. What's your opinion on this?
Ever hear of confidentiality? nm
nm
PS to confidentiality breach
I should have said they "had" their confidentiality breached by others. The hospital was very apologetic of this and does not know who did it but called in federal investigators to find the source of the poster on the website.
security, confidentiality, etc...
I also have a home computer and all the same programs on a laptop to use when I travel. It's no different than my home computer. When I type at home, I am typing in my living room with my husband and son moving all around me. (We're remodeling right now.) They respect that what I am typing is no one's business and they have never even offered to look or ask what's going on. Furthermore, this is a family computer, not provided by work. They are on the computer quite alot when I'm not. The program in which I transcribe is password protected and the information on patients is not stored locally, but on a server 1000 miles from here. That's about as secure as you can get. Then, that is not to mention that I have a wireless network here at home, as well as when I travel. With a password and a good firewall, security is just not an issue. Also, see the post from Just Me a few down, about networks. She is correct. (I also have worked in IT for many years.) Hotels ARE secure networks with original passwords. The last one I worked in had to give me a new password daily. Working at McDonald's or an Internet Cafe is what wouldn't be safe.
As for the laptop... like I said for my main job, no patient information is stored on my hard drive, but at a server away from me. I have a local account also, and once I do the work and send it in, it is deleted. I personally don't see the concern. There's not any point when I'm traveling that I have patient data stored on the laptop. The only way anyone could get patient information off of it is if they bust in the door while I'm working and jerk it from me mid-note.
Confidentiality Agreement
Does anyone have a generic confidentiality agreement that they use for their clients. I have new doc, and I don't have any agreement in my file. I have signed theirs, but do not have one to offer the new doc. Anybody have one or know where I can find one? Thanks so much.
Confidentiality Agreement
There was an Agreement of Confidentialty that was posted on 05/20/09 by DeeAnn. that was really good. Hope this helps.
Putting patient versus The patient (sm)
When did this "rule" come about? I've been an MT/Editor/medeical records tech/ART for 30 years - Never, ever was I told to put that. You cannot make the sentence be "The patient sent to Radiology" but you can put "Patient sent to Radiology."
Thats just insane.
I have never signed a confidentiality notice that says
I can't mention what account I type on - I know they always say not to contact that place or try to get a job with them, etc., and I don't see the big deal either. I can't see why a company would care if someone knows what hospital you type for. I guess some places are just different, but seeing as how I assume she hasn't signed anything since she just accepted the job, I really don't see how they could not hire her because she mentioned that, not knowing that they didn't want her to. That's just my opinion though.
Hospital confidentiality breach in RI.
A hospital in Rhode Island breached patient information of over 2000. Federal investigation underway. Patient's names, SS#, telephone, etc., put out for all to see and caught by a patient who "googled" her own name. They say it was only face sheet info and hospital offered to pay for credit check or credit fraud alert. (Which is free by the way!) So please be careful who you get involved with. I don't believe it was medical transcription or medical records since it was face sheet information but believe me, all subcontractors to this hospital are now on alert and you should be as well. It's out there! The scum bags who post info are at it again. They also had a scandal at a RI supermarket chain where the credit card swiping machines were altered by crooks who are being charged with federal crimes, two would keep the cashiers busy while another would alter the card swiping machine, put it back to collect information, then come in again, take out the swiping info and people as far away as California were charging to these poor innocent people in RI whose cards were swiped while doing their weekly shopping. So don't think your information is safe anywhere. These stories can be confirmed by the local newspaper in RI, "The Providence Journal" at their website, "projo.com". Check it out!!
Absolutely Not. That is against HIPAA and will cause confidentiality breaches, nm
x
You should have signed a confidentiality agreement which allows you to type this unless-
you do not feel comfortable typing it, in which case I would ask my supe to reassign it.
The buck stops with you (all of us). What confidentiality means is
that you/me, the MT, do not discuss the name and contents of a report with anyone outside the immediate realm of responsibility and only within a professional context.
If you feel really uncomfortable with doing it and have the option of sending it back for someone else to do, that acceptable but not entirely necessary.
If you *have* to do a report on someone you know, do it, and put it out of your mind. If you see that person, you cannot discuss anything about it with them, even if they ask. The onus is upon us to keep.our.mouths.shut. That is all that confidentiality entails.
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when you work for a national, you sign a confidentiality agreement...?
the same rules would apply, and you must have signed a confidentiality agreement with whomever you work for. you can be fired, if breached.
my opinion, as a professional, you transcribe it and mums the word...
when I worked in a hospital, someone was caught 'sharing' information about the CEO from a transcription report, and was fired on the spot.
It's a written rule in some companies confidentiality agreement.
I know my company has it as a written rule so it just is not good business. I would think an MT would know this
Not to flame but every day there's posting after posting about how awful MQ is
Why does anyone still work there?
I don't get it.
If you have not transcribed using BOS
guidelines that is probably the problem. See which version they are using and get a copy.
and this is how our records are transcribed =(
x
I have not strictly transcribed in about 10 yrs.sm
I work full-time doing medical transcription but I also have other duties that do not involve transcribing so I don't keep up with lines or anything like that; I get paid by the hour. I have worked 3-4 hours in the evenings for one of the national companies for a little over a month but I can't seem to get my line count up. I've only been able to do around 100 lph. I know it will take longer than it would if I worked 8 hours just transcribing. I would like to quit the other job and just work from home transcribing but I'm afraid if I can't get my line count up I won't be able to maintain my current income. I'm not a blazing fast typist, I probably type 75-80 wpm without any kind of expanders. Any helpful advice or encouragement on whether you guys think at my typing speed it is within reason to think I can make it to 150-200 lph? I've done straight transcription in the past but I never had to keep up with lines. I have 30+ years of experience. I just need to decide whether to keep things the way they are now or take the chance on income by production only. BYW, I transcribe acute care for the national.
Your transcribed report would be your testimony, if anybody, for whatever SM
bizarre reason decided your input would be needed. Why the heck do you think you'd get called to court?
I got charged $75 for a copy of my old MRs, even though I transcribed it!!! n/m
:p
QA Help: Earlier I transcribed a report where
the doctor used a really offensive curse phrase. He was actually quoting what the patient said (ER report). He said place this in quotes. It was a really ugly thing to say (mother F word). Even though it's in quotes as what the patient apparently said, I felt uncomfortable actually transcribing it. And believe me I'm no prude. I've heard it all (and said some of it). However, it just seemed really unprofessional and not appropriate in a medical document. It's not like it was a psych report. In fact, it really had no relevance whatsoever, in my opinion, but I could be wrong I guess. So, I left a blank. But now I'm thinking, was that really not my call? Should I have just transcribed it? What would any of you out there have done? QA? What do you advise in cases like this? It's happened before but never as filthy as this. 
Contact the clients you transcribed for
n/m
VA accts transcribed offshore
My first editing job was for a company located in Virginia that has since closed and one of their largest accounts was for a network of VA Hospitals. I always wondered if they (the VA) had any clue that the actual transcription was being done in India.
It is 10 reports transcribed for free.
The OP states the account goes through transcriptionists. I wonder why? The OP states later on in the thread they go through transcriptionists.
I'm trying to protect Lisa from getting abused from the get-go. All she has to say is "my charge is" and go from there.
Too bad if they were already transcribed. Does that mean Lisa should take the loss? NO. Absolutely not.
Again, read above where the OP states "they can't seem to keep a transcriptionist."
To the OP: Charge them! You won't regret it. If you are an IC, you have every right to charge them.
Plus, look at rockinMT's post. She bent over backwards for an account and what happened? It turns out she was spending more time than it was worth.
These are all my opinions, and I am trying to give my opinion on what the OP should do in regards to reports that she transcribed and should, yes, be paid for since she was not aware ahead of time and especially because it is a new account.
What do I know? Ya know? I mean really? Just looking out for the best interest of the OP, but hey, that's just me.
The reports that are transcribed get scanned into
the EMR record. They do the same thing with the lab slips, x-ray reports, etc. The transcription is still performed in the usual way it has always been done.
I have transcribed from handwritten notes
and it was a nightmare. Sometimes the info was missing and my neck hurt like heck looking down and up, down and up. I charged per page. This dr went from dictating to these 5 page forms that he would fill out when he saw the patient. He scribbled and it was horrible. It wrecked my neck, so I gave it up. I was better off straight transcribing at lower pay than when I had to keep looking up and down from a page and no a stand for the forms didn't help because my eyes kept leaving the monitor, so it was hard to get back in gear only to have to take my eyes back to the handwritten form.
MTs by definition are hired to transcribed - sm
what the doctor dictates. We can't be expected to have to catch their mistakes - they're supposed to catch their own. That's why they're being paid the big bucks and we're note. Years back, we weren't expected to know all this stuff -- the meaning of every word we transcribed, the normal/abnormal lab values, what a particular drug is used for, and I could go on and on, and we were paid better, appreciated more & respected more.
I do agree that we must know how to spell medical words and words of English usage. That's what they get for their 7-8-8.5 cents per line. I do NOT believe that we should have to look up doctor's names, on our time, when the dictator has it right in front of him/her and would take him/her only 2-3 seconds to spell it, thus also avoiding any confusion. But I guess that would be too easy.
I didn't always feel this way. Years back, when I was treated as a professional and compensated accordingly, I performed as such. If I want to flag a doc's mistake, I do it for the PATIENT'S sake (but for the grace of God it could be me or a loved one lying in that hospital bed) - and as a courtesy to the doctor. But they really expect too much for too little.
I swear, I just transcribed Bill Cosby! sm
you know that voice that Bill Cosby does, kinda sounds like he's drunk? Well, this doc I just transcribed sounded like that!!! and it's workers' comp, no less. Just had to vent a little! It's still too early for all this!
Not an MQ employee but have always transcribed via turnaround pool.
The office manager I worked for set it up so they could bill faster, i.e., ERs in 24 hours or less, op notes, discharge summaries, etc. She said it made for a better cash flow for the hospital. That's probably what MQ is trying to accomplish, maybe per client request.
Well, I just transcribed 1500 lines in 3 hours. sm
I work on the same account every day, same dictators, lots of templated reports I did myself and put them into auto correct. I get up early, start at 7 am and today I was done by 10 am. Cleaning the house now. Also, the line pay is slightly higher than most, so 1500 lines is fine for me today.
On harder days when the account is really behind, I get up and vacuum the house after 3 hours of transcribing then come back for 1 hour. If things are caught up, I stop for the day. If not, I will go back in the evening.
I can't sit for 6-8 hours straight. Making $160 bucks in 3 hours is good for me and enough. Tomorrow is another day!
Use templates and short cuts - that will help! I have whole reports in my auto correct, but you have to listen through and change and correct things as each patient is a different case.
I do have to tell you, I do not get this many lines every day in such short a time. It just happened that today was a good day. 
Hope this helps.
copies of previously transcribed reports
What I always found helped, make copies of reports from the medical record charts. Make a few copies of each doctor and keep them in your desk that way you can refer back to the report when doing the doctor. You will get the hang of it. No hospital wants to go through the money and time hiring someone just to let them go right away. Usually you get about a three to six month probation period.
Guidelines are one thing, but if your client wants it transcribed a certain way, just do it.
p
My grandmother transcribed part time into her mid 70s.
,
I am filling out a job app and they want transcribed words per minute.
Thanks.
I have transcribed for doctors in the past who have dictated...sm
that the patient is heterosexual. I'm not much on what is politically correct or not, I just transcribe what the doctor dictates.
Pull up the whole period for which transcribed...see more inside
Say July 1 was the first day and July 14 was the last day - are you able to do a date-specific count? If so, get that on the screen, hit the "Print Screen" button (above SysRq next to Scroll Lock). Then open a Word document or go to Accessories and get either Word Pad or Notebook. Do a control C, which is the Word command for copy. This will copy the whole screen shot into that new document. Go to "file" on the task bar, do a "Save as" and name it what you want, say 07012008to07142008 or something so you will be able to recognize it. This will now give you a document that you can email to their payroll period with a nice little message something to the tune of "WHAT GIVES" or other equally professional question - just kidding, but now you have proof of what your total lines were and a bargaining tool. If you can only do it 1 day at a time, you can still use the screen shot method, but you will have a lot of documents to email if it comes to that.
Be sure to question them verbally by phone first as that might clear up any confusion. If not, then you can tell them YOUR line count and ask why your figures are so different. Just a thought. Good luck!
Meds are not given based on transcribed reports
Meds in hospitals are not given based on what is in transcribed reports. There are so many errors with transcribed material that everyone expects there to be errors in meds, either because it was dictated incorrectly or transcribed incorrectly.
Physicians write orders for drugs, treatments, tests, and procedures. They're in a different part of the record entirely. They're either handwritten or they are in electronic form.
That's not saying there are no medication administration errors, but just saying the likelihood of an error stemming from a transcribed report are almost nil.
"For 30 years, I've transcribed things by what is..SM
correct." This is where the problem is. Do you know that some of the most stubborn, difficult, argumentative, inflexible MTs I have ever met in the course of my career are the ones who parrot that particular sentence?
What was done or has been done for 30 years is not necessarily the correct way now. Language has changed. With the advent of VR, the way we transcribe is now more of a verbatim way than ever.
These 30-year MTs are still adding 's on to Down syndrome, still typing out the word "centimeter" even though it is no longer accepted as anything but line-padding....get my drift?
We're paying 9 cpl and everything transcribed plus spaces is paid for.
/
Depends. Did you just study or have you actually transcribed lots of tapes as sm
part of your training? If you can't put down on your resume that your home study included multiple tapes in many specialties, etc. you are going to be hard pressed to find a good job.
On the other hand, you might be able to type some orthopedics or pt notes (and then at least have some experience to put on your resume.) Orthopedic doctors have TONS of dictation. Besides their clinic notes, etc, most of them do IME (independent medical evaluations) which are fairly easy to do. You'll need some good ortho books to get you started, but most will let you start without the experience if you can demonstrate you know the terminology. Good luck. Get some experience and the doors will start opening REALLY fast for you. Sometimes, taking a low paying job is okay in the beginning just to get the experience. If you can possibly get in a PCP's office to help out with clinic notes (even offering to to backlog/vacation stuff, you will get good experience and your resume will look great for the future stuff that comes up. Good Luck to You. Hang in there and learn everything you can.
Let the docs use their reports transcribed in India as a defense! LOL
The doc can sit there while the personal injury lawyer shows the jury a grieving family and the messed up report.
US MTs should not accept sweat shop wages or conditions. We are providing a service to them! We are their first defense!:) :) :)
If US MTs stoped working for low wages, the physicians who value patient safety and their livelihood would pay a descent wage. The other ones can try to explain the report being done in India to the personal injury lawyer tearing him apart.
Here is my understanding of conversions of time dictated to transcribed
I was told once that the ratio of dictated to transcribed minutes was approximately 1:4 for an average MT for average dictation. So, if you've been given 300 minutes of dictation it might take you 1200 minutes to finish it, divided by 60 minutes equals about 20 hours. Obviously this is just an estimate and could very depending on a lot of factors, but this might give you some idea.
Another conversion I've heard is that one 65-character line equals 6 seconds of audio and so 1 minute of audio equals 10 lines. So, if you are charging by 65-character line, you may be looking at 3000 lines or so, which when using the above formula would have you typing at about 150 lines per hour for 20 hours, giving you about 3000 lines.
Sounds like this is very doable, typing for 7-8 hours per day if you have until the end of Wednesday. If it has to be back by Wednesday morning, you will have to work 10+ hours per day on it today and tomorrow.
;)
Christine
Thank you for response. :( I figured it was nearly impossible for transcribed lines.
I think my co. wants me to quit...
They don't remove eyes based on transcribed medical reports. SM
Hate to burst your bubble - we're important, but not that important.
I take great pride in doing great work and doing a bunch of it.
Is the patient
x
patient name
It's surprising your company lets you put the name in the report. The trend has been to use "the patient" instead of the name.
The patient is...
The patient is a 2-month-old elephant.
The patient is a 2-month-old infant.
Work from India.
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