One week of working on a new platform and I do not feel it is user-friendly
Posted By: doing editing/QA on 2005-12-06
In Reply to:
Editing itself is not bad. It is the documentation of the changes I made, I think for purposes of feedback to MT, which I have to do on Word (outside of the platform) that is driving me crazy and is eating up a lot of time. I do not think I am being productive. I am paid an hourly rate but I am almost embarrassed with my production. I think doing QA without going the through the MTing using the same platform presents a lot of difficulty. Is it too early to decide whether this is a good fit for me?
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Is their platform user friendly, or does it depend on the account?
nm
Has anyone used IntraScript or I-Scriptor as a platform? User-friendly, productive? Any comments?
xx
I have WP 10 and I like it. User friendly. sm
I've used MS Word too, but there really isn't that much difference and its easy to learn.
Very user friendly
Although I was a newbie at the time, after finishing a MT course, they first had me on Dictaphone and then trained us on Escription/Edit Script. It was much, much easier than Dictaphone and any MT with experience would find it very easy to use. There really is not that much training needed---just to learn the commands, which is included in the tutorial. It really is a great platform.
How user friendly is it really?
nm
It is very user friendly...
...I think you'll like it. Good luck!
Yep, VERY user friendly...
You'll be up and running into no time. :-)
I don't think it is very user friendly - sm
I used it for a day I think and then quit, hated it. Too many steps up to actually working and it was just a pain in the butt to use. There are many platforms that are much better than EMDAT.
very user friendly, productive ...
i was disappointed my lines didn't increase more dramatically over old system -- but there was an increase. I like it well enough i hope i never have to use another system. Maybe the 'decrease' in lines others report is due to messing around on the internet instead of working, as 2 minutes here and there really can add up...
software that is user friendly (sm)
I'm not sure of the difference between software and a platform, but I just want to work for a company whose program is easy to work on, not a lot of glitches, freezes, server problems, etc. etc. That defeats the whole purpose of what we were hired to do - TRANSCRIBE. Also when there is a problem, it would be nice to have someone be able to help you quickly.
Is ExSpeech user friendly?
Can you make good lines on Dictaphone ExSpeech voice recognition?
Which platforms do you find to be the most user friendly . . . sm
and allow you to be more productive? Your input is greatly appreciated!
Invoice program - user friendly
I currently use Abacus for line counting. I need a separate program for line counting and hourly work that is very user friendly. Any advice?
The newest version is VERY user friendly. The one right before
it stunk. Make sure you're getting to work on one that has the very newest version that came out this fall.
I love BeyondText. User friendly
are pulled in with a simple search. I was making my minimum line counts by the end of the first week.
I have tried both. Smartype is user friendly, easy to learn. I'd use it again.
NM
VR program. Very user-friendly and easy to learn.
xx
Is ExText user friendly? Can you make good lines?
I will be using a foot pedal - ? Transnet.
I'm using Meditech Magic now and I can't imagine anything being worse.
Is the em dat (?) program user friendly - can you make lines - complicated to learn?nm
nm
if you are working in a platform..sm
saving autotext or macros probably will not work. It does not work in mine when I am on my company's platform either. If I need to enter an autotext entry or a macro, I have to sign out of my platform, enter the autotext in word or the macro, and it will save to normal.dot. When I go back into my platform, the autotex and macros are still not there. I have to do the above, and reboot the computer first. then when I go into my company's platform and want to use the entered autotext or macros, it is then there and stays there. Tech support for these platforms cannot help either. it is a conflict between word and the platform and as far as I know, there is no "cure" for it. We were actually told about a year ago that if we try to enter a macro while in the platform, it would actually crash the program and corrupt the normal.dot file, and I can attest to that, because it happened to me and THEN they told me that. I do all of my entries when outside of the platform and then reboot. So mostly if I want to enter any thing new, I wait until I am finished working for the day, do the entries, and then shut down for the night. They will be there in the morning. Doing this has never failed me. give it a shot! good luck.
Are you working in a platform? sm
Once you set that option you shouldn't have to ever set it again. A Word-based platform can do this, though.
MQrs, how many of you are working on different platform than DQS?
The MQ was to have most accounts switched to DQS for uniform billing as well as sharing work between offices. I just wonder how close to the goal MQ is on this. If you are working on another platform, which office are you working out of.
Yes, somewhat slow for me and am so glad as I feel very tired this week.
dd
I was working PT at home one week after my C-section and
probably working FT by third week, though can't remember exactly. I did have a flexible schedule and I had a very good baby. I worked where I could and weekends.
Barely working 20 hours a week...sm
I have worked for this company for over a year now. I love the account. I love the work. I am used to it and don't want to think about going elsewhere but I am not making squat I don't get paid by the hour I was just letting you know that is the amount of time I am getting to work due to the fact there is not enough work. I have never been able to get full time work here but more that this. I don't know whether to stick it out or look elsewhere. I only have 1-1/2 years exp so I don't have a lot of options with less than 2 years exp. I don't know what I should do. I have asked about a secondary account, but they said they don't need help on any of their other accounts. Anyone else in this boat? What to do? 
Doing wrong? Probably only working 80 hours a week 6 days.
Anybody else not feel like working today?
You know how you're sleep deprived, then when you catch up on your sleep, you feel even more tired than before? Ugh. I slept for 10 hours last night. I've got a killer headache. All the work coming up on my account today is lousy. I'd rather be doing anything else right now. Time to set the timer and get 'er done.
Working for a national, do you ever feel you can't ask for
an increase in pay because you're concerned you'll price yourself right out of a job?
I make 9 cents a line IC. I get my line count pumped up to where I want by hard work on the accounts I'm working. I get pretty efficient in that account and then I get pushed to different work where I have to start all over again and work really hard to make a decent line count. It's seemed to happen again, so I'm thinking about requesting a pay increase but then I start thinking that I'm already at a "better than most" pay from what I've seen posted here and elsewhere. What do you think? I'm interested in opinions if anyone will share. Thanks.
Does anyone else feel like you're always working
i feel like i'm typing constantly!! my whole life is type type type type type
I feel like I'm working my @** off for pennies
nm
I dont mind working 1 of the weekend days every week.
I just figure people get sick and doctors have to work them..
At 53 working 2 jobs 80 hours a week is impossible. I tried it, it does not work!! (sm)
I have been at this business 30+ years and at one point worked 3 jobs and 2 were for hospital contracts with taxes taken out and the other IC. It gives you no life. My suggestion, if you need the extra $$ work your 40 during the week, then 1 or 2 nights 2 hours and then Sat/Sun 16 hours which would give you 20 hours. That is more than enough and will give you a chance to see if you want to make a job change. Have tried the 2 FT 80 hours and almost had a seizure over it. Remember if your not physically well you cannot do it all!
I prefer working a shorter shift 6 to 7 days a week. SM
I work hard when I work to put out a lot of lines per hour, which is very tiring. Also, my company has a work flow/volume problem, and this allows me to schedule my hours for those times when work is most likely to be available.
Regarding having a life, in a 24-hour day, subtracting say 8 hours for sleep leaves 16 hours, and subtracting 6 hours for work leaves 10 hours every day for "life," a luxuriance of time if you don't have young children or other heavy responsibilities filling them with other work.
The trick (sometimes it is a trick!) is be firm with yourself, and others, and get the work out of the way briskly and on schedule, such as those early-morning or evening and split schedules, and not drag it out through the entire day, sandwiched in between TV shows, phone chats, family duties, and so on.
my friend just finished her BSN 2 years ago, working 32 hr/week making $60K with benefits nm
x
Actually, no don't feel weird working at home.. sm
You make a life outside of MTing too. Your message was "who smiles at everyone way too much and tries too hard to make conversation." I'd say, how nice, how kind, how interesting to be around. As opposed to the years of office toods (attitudes), back-biting all the time in offices, no thanks, no thanks ever again. Just tell others you meet you work at home making a living and look at their eyes (they wish they could too, oh yes) the longing for peace and some measure of tranquility. You CAN be a very interesting person to be around.
Do you think you would feel isolated working at home?sm
I do have children and I have worked at home for the last 7 years, the whole time they were both infants. I have one in school now and one in preschool. You are right. There are benefits to being able to pick them up or staying out with them, and I hadn't really thought about the costs of clothing, gas, etc. - good point. Thanks for your input.
Made 60K last year working 50 hours a week being paid on gross line
nm
anyone feel weird working at home all the time?
Who smiles at everyone way too much and tries too hard to make conversation?
I get less done when my husband is laying in the bed - I feel cheated if I am working while he is re
x
Start>Control Panel>User Accounts>Turn User Account Control OFF
x
I know how you feel. Working at home can be distracting, just having other things on our minds (sm)
like dirty dishes in the sink, piling up laundry, a bed right across the hall to take a nap in. What works for me is tune everything out including internet distractions and e-mails, phone calls. No more than a 10 minute break every couple of hours, 30 minutes lunch time and just hit those keys. The end result can be pretty rewarding.
YES!! Love 'em! Lots of fun, doesn't feel like working out. :)
Is there engineer week? Astronaut week? Veterinarian week?
x
Working 6/hour days, 5 days/week I make
$42,000.00, but the work is there to make more if I want to. I'm in the southeast.
MTSO with platform versus no platform (big message)
If a MTSO advertises that the MT works in MS Word and sends dictation by FTP, does this usually mean there will be no demographic/doctor database and the demographics will not be autopopulated?
I got into a mess with a small company (got out real quickly too). I was required to print out daily email copies of the doctors' office patient schedules (which were barely legible) and type in all information. I spent more time hunting for the correct patient through pages and pages of these schedules. Then I had about 25 pages worth of doctor's names that I would have to go through to find the attending, referring, etc. A total waste of time as I didn’t get paid for that.
I wish MTSO would give more information as to what platform they use (if any). Proprietary software is such a generic, totally useless description. Would they buy a new car that listed, "Car has gasoline operated motor?"
And for Pete's sakes, why so secretive about the pay? Give a ballpark figure. Just say, pay is between 7-12 cpl depending on skill, testing, etc. Tell me if you pay for spaces, headers, etc. It would save them time because I wouldn’t even apply for a 7 cpl job.
Before I spend an hour or two testing, I need more information from a company to be sure it is compatible for my needs. If the MTSO would spend a little time on their website detailing their platform, how they send/receive files, pay rates, how line rate is determined (spaces/no spaces) employee/IC/SE status, minimal line count, whether work pools consist of 100s of doctors, or smaller pools with 25-50 doctors etc. Having all this information on their website would save them time and the MTs time. Phoenix Medcom has a really good layout describing pretty much everything an MT would want to know before testing with them. I am just tired of testing with a company and then finding out the job wasn’t exactly suited to my needs.
How? By working 12-hr days 7 days/week?
;LKJ
Platform versus non-platform (templates)?
I've been working for MTSOs for years now, using their templates which sometimes cause productivity problems (macro issues, etc). I'm wondering if productivity is increased when working on a structured platform, such as one that a national company provides for its transcriptionists? I've never used a platform, but it would seem that all one needs to do is straight type onto the screen and the platform program takes care of margins, page breaks, etc?
Any thoughts (as well as companies who are hiring who use platforms) would be appreciated. Thanks
Typically this week is a slow week in lots of places
because it is a big vacation week. Typically things slow dow a bit in the summer too because people are putting off elective surgery, but at the same time lots of people going on vacation so it should balance out.
Lowest runs $900 week, highest $1400 week (sm)
Get paid 12 CPL. Been doing transcription for about 12 years.
Is it kid friendly?
x
pet friendly
I for one can identify with you. Leaving my simon at home would be like leaving a kid at home! For the last eight years we have planned most of our vacations around our dog. I have found some of the greatest ones were groups of cabins on the lake (I am in Texas, so we have gone to tennessee, arkansas, etc) but I'm sure there are some close to you. They have group cookouts, hiking, casino nights, soft ball, lots of fun stuff. You might check something like that. 
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