Reports vary so much it's hard to say
Posted By: tnmt on 2007-11-21
In Reply to: Line count / pay - Christy
It really depends on what type of reports they are, as well as your platform. I just started doing radiology and man when I think I am really rocking, my report numbers are up and my line count is down. Like you, sometimes when I'm really strugling with those long complicated MR reports and feel like I'm stopping every five seconds, despite myself I'm typing more lines. I feel it's because the reports are so long.
Basically, I live by the axiom that anytime you have to take your hands off the keyboard, it costs you money. Period. That's why people talk about the "good old days" of WP51 and straight Word (not Word-based platforms) where you could keep your hands where they belonged and not fiddle with the mouse all the time or wait on the platform to catch up to you.
Sorry I don't have more answers; perhaps someone who keeps better records than me will be more help! :)
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
She's right. It is not as hard as medical reports
Just like people who type for insurance companies, they also think they are qualified to be an MT - NOT. Social work reports, although probably a lot more interesting, are nothing like typing medical records.
Must have been hard to do that....in the past I have done a lot of child sexual abuse reports - sm
and they were no picnic. After my mom died, it also seemed I got a lot of congestive heart failure patients (what she had), and now since Jen's diagnosis of Wilms, I did 2 letters last weekend on two other kids with Wilms at the same clinic we attend.....what freaked me out was the Stage II child had a 3 place recurrence at the completion of his chemo, while a Stage IV child was just fine.....Jen is Stage I....and then at her ultrasound this week the doc was extremely thorough (more thorough than the last one, same doc too) and it made me a bit uneasy as he did stuff this time that he did not do last time. But he said all was well, said they get faked out a lot by shadows where the removed kidney used to be that looks like recurrence so they have to be extra careful and rule out that possibility. But the child abuse ones, when I used to get them, were definitely depressing, can only do so much of them.
yes it can vary
Some don't pay for underlining or bold and you really don't notice these things because they are out of sight and out of mind. We assume that a rate per line means everything in the entire line, but it doesn't. I recently used Abacus and counted by gross and two other ways and it sure can vary.
...may vary (was cut off) (nm)
x
Does it vary by state? usually something like 23.
x
It probably does vary between accounts.
Problem in MTSO's don't want MTs to know exactly what they are charging. So MTs get a flat rate. It's not fair.
opinions vary,
but i don't think so. but in this day and age, i think you are wise to have more than 1 skill up your sleeve. i think the pendulum will swing and we will realize that a thinking person is better than a machine, tho some adapting may be necessary and that shipping work overseas isn't the smartest solution either. i suspect you'll esp find ample work in the big city.
I have this & speed can vary sm
I also have the 727 with Sprint and also another card for my laptop so hubby can be on it while I'm working. I worked for a company where I had to log in to their VPN system, and there were times I would lose connection because my connection speed would dip down too low. However, I am about 1/3 of a mile outside the official coverage area and have to use an antenna to get a good signal, and this may or may not be the case with your connection. I have also used my USB card for the Bayscribe system and just started with Keystrokes using DocQScribe with absolutely no problems at all.
The MR reports were being filed. Referring physicians/medical care providers reports were not.
This is a hospital radiology department with in-house MTs and a clerk who is in charge of the report distribution.
YMMV (your mileage may vary)
>>>Who are making more money with VR than you did with straight transcribing?
Depends upon the day.
>>>If so, how many LPH did you average when doing straight transcribing?
About 250 lph.
>>>If not, how would you rate the difference, approximately in % of income lost
When VR is "kicking booty," I can get close to 400 lph with around 99% accuracy. And that's just straight dictation. If I knew how to do macros and templates, I could probably get close to 500 lph. --- But it didn't happen overnight. I started using the product again in November 2002 when I busted my finger. When it's a matter of spending the time training the product correctly or not working at all, you find a lot of patience.
LOL! Accounts vary, I guess. SM
I have typed on one where they don't want them capped, and it bugs me every time. :)
It can vary widely so I'm not sure there is a baseline.
Some companies pay per line, some pay per hour. Hourly is the best way to go. The per line rate can go from 2 to 5 cpl, hourly $10 to $15. Figure out what your hourly rate is doing transcription and you'll know what to ask for. Generally QA people make less than MTs, but you wouldn't want to take a cut I don't think.
goes to show how much our experiences out here vary... Everyone comes from a different POV
What you can do per hour can vary WILDLY
I have some accounts I can crank out lines on and hit 1000 in 5 hours easily. I have another that can take me nearly 8 hours because of being 90% ESL (really bad ones to boot!) and really tedious account specifics. I have been on this platform for 6 years and have expanded to the max. It can just depend on the accounts you do! :-)
Yes it can vary, that is up to the MTSO how they want to pay/bill - sm
I used to work for one that billed out as a line being 60 characters; she also had another account that was 50 characters (which gives the Dr. the impression they are paying less as the rate is .10; which is actually .13/65 char). This was a smaller MTSO though, all the larger companies I have worked for have all been 65 char/line.
Seems to vary by company. Mine seem to
s
As you can see, experiences vary very widely SM
But--It's the future, so leap in! Figure out every way technology can do the work for you much, much faster. Start programming your corrections into your Expander from day 1. All of them. Not just a few main phrases, but virtually every word within them and every possible variable. Program in all your punctuation corrections. Like changing ". He " to ", he" and vice versa within at most 3 keystrokes. You'll do it all day long.
It's true people are making less in general these days, but any time I hear of people still being able to support themselves fairly acceptably I pretty much know they're still typing out most stuff out the looong way. Alllllllllll of it alllllll day looooong...... That's really sort of analogous to people who refused to learn word processing, insisting on staying with Selectrics and Liquid Paper. Back then, like now, we upgraded our skills or went broke.
And if you don't already, practice reading fast until you get that skill up there. There's a lot of reading to this.
Don't bother fussing about what a mess VR can make of some dictation. All that counts is what income you can make from cleaning it up. (Tho skimming through reports that just need a slight buffing IS a pleasure.)
My last thought is that this business is in flux, and it's true some companies are not paying equitably for this work. Yes, a greatly increased pool of skilled workers for each good job does mean pay has gone down for MT overall, but if you feel you're producing fairly well compared to others in your position and your income still has dropped signficantly over what you earned doing transcription, you need a better company. OTOH, if you've worked hard at developing these new skills and can't seem to do decently, it may no longer be the field for you. Either way, plan on being ready to move on if necessary. Don't wait many months to figure it out. Best wishes!
If it rains hard, the wind blows hard and there are trees
nearby, it snows heavily it will mess up the signal. The speed is not constant, sometimes as slow as dial-up, but at least still connected. Many companies will not allow satellite.
As a for instance, 225 lines/hr at 8 cpl would be $18/hr. Your mileage may vary. nm
a
Line rates vary geographically.
I wouldn't work for less than 0.08/65-character line that included spaces. If you're traveling, printing, etc., charge more. Tax advice should come from professional tax preparers, not this site. Also check IRS website.
Plus, line rates vary by company
depending on the account. I told someone how much I made, she got a job with the same company on a different account making less $$.
Plus, line rates vary within the company
depending on the account. I told someone how much I made, she got a job with the same company on a different account making less $$.
The two sentence normal reports will balance out the 3 page reports.
I am Wendy too
So, you think it is okay for hard-working MTs to earn 7-8 cpl for their hard work?? nm
:{
This will vary depending on dictator style and speed, but the average to shoot for initially shoud b
around 3 times the length of the dictation. So, if the dictation is 5 minutes long, you should be able to complete the transcription in roughly 15 minutes. Again, that can vary, but it's a good rule of thumb to go by.
Your English teacher does not do medical reports. This is for medical reports.
.
It can vary from company to company.
If a company is on one coast and you on the other it can affect shift time, meaning usually if you want to start work 9-10 instead of 11 you could for 3rd shift, etc.
i'm sure it will vary from person to person.
I recently did the same thing and am loving it! The freedom from time clocks, the better company, make losing the benefits well worth it to me. You need to set up a plan to have $ set aside for taxes though. I should have done this years ago!
It is hard but only at first...
I have 2 children and did it with both of them. I am also a nurse but after trying part-time out of the house work combined with MT-ing to stay home with kids as much as possible, I ended up strictly at home 2 years ago.
It's not the easiest when the children are infants - but it's worth it once you get past that phase. I actually used to type with my daughter breastfeeding in my lap! I had some crazy, crazy days and nights. Don't expect to get 3-4 hours straight - be ready to get an hour or 2 when you can throughout the day. It can be frustrating, but once they reach a certain age and are sleeping well you can work at night and during naps. (My kids did not take to naps too well, so the night was my time.)
Now my kids are 8-1/2 and 4-1/2 and it's wonderful. I'm finally past the crazy hours and grabbing an hour whenever I can - never at the same time. (I am fortunate to work for a company that does not require set hours.) I type while they are at school and then on occasion after they go to bed at night. I volunteer at their schools once a week, coach my daughter's cheerleading team, and am baseball, soccer and football mom. I had an RN office job part-time about 2 years ago that I loved, but I just couldn't take not being able to be there for their school activities, after-school stuff, etc. Nothing beats the flexibility of MT-ing.
Good luck. There will be smooth days and not so smooth ones - keep in mind how lucky you will be to be able to attend everything you want to with your child - to not have to call in sick when they are, to not have to ask permission to run that lunchbox to school when they leave it in the car, etc., etc.!
hard to say - sm
I sure hope not. I don't want to think that God would punish many for the actions of few like this either. Probably purely coincidental.
The sad thing is that those who demanded that these religious monuments be removed are probably not even from the south but chose that area because of the spirituality and religious folks that make the south their home.
I personally find the removal of these markings truly abominable. They are a simple reminder of what this country was founded on, faith, hope, and freedom.
Southerners are devote and proud. They will get through this with time and help from the rest of us. This is what American grit really is. Help from others or no, we have to stick together and pull ourselves up from the muck.
I really would like to know why it is so hard
to let someone ask a question if they want. You do not have to read it, think about it, address it, whatever.....what difference does it make that the topic was brought up at some past time? This board is for communication and nobody is forcing you to read redundant posts.
Just PLEASE stop making folks feel stupid. Go onto the next post or start one yourself.
You are being to hard on
Not stop it - you are just looking at your own reflection in your monitor! You really shouldn't be so hard on yourself!
How hard is it to get a job?
I'm considering getting a Medical Transcriptionist Certificate at a local college. I was wondering how hard it is to get a job after graduating? I've noticed on the Job Seekers Board that most of the jobs require experience. Any advice?
Having a hard day
I'm having the hardest time working today. My best friend is having surgery at the Cleveland Clinic today. She is only 28 and has grade III anaplastic astrocytoma. She was only diagnosed three months ago after she had a seizure and this is now her second surgery. She is so far away (we live in Kentucky) and I really want to be there. To those who are reading this, I am asking for your prayers for my friend, Jenny, and her husband and two young children, that they may all be together this Christmas. Please also pray for me to have the strength to help her and her family through this terrible time and difficult road ahead. Thank you all.
don't be hard on yourself for the
decisions that you've made. we all want to believe what our spouces tell us and hope that things will change but in the end it never does and in the meantime you're raising your kids in an environment that will effect them the rest of their lives. i've been through a lot of what you're going through and there's no good or easy answer to help anyone through it. I used to be very confident, strong and able to do anything and now I don't have the confidence to make the most simple decisions because my x was so abusive. my family didn't believe me about the things that would happen and I was too humiliated to tell my friends. when I finally got the courage to make him move out I was recovering from neck surgery, couldn't ambulate by myself, didn't have a full time job, had a 1 year old, and he had wiped out the savings. it's been 2.5 yrs and I'm almost back on my feet. there are state systems that can help you but be prepared for a battle there too because you will have to nag and nag to get help in a somewhat timely manner, just don't give up. start checking into things as quickly as possible because I found out that it's usually first-come first-served type of thing. call you local police department and ask what they can offer and what steps you need to take to keep yourself and kids safe. what I finally realized was that I didn't want my son growing up in an environment that was unhealthy and unsafe not to mention I didn't want him to think that it was ok to treat people, especially women, in the way he was seeing at home. I'm a firm believer that God gives you what you can handle and you will be a better person once you've overcome his challenges. I also believe that it's my job as a mother to do anything I can to protect my son for as long as I can. no parent, not even a step-parent, should ever be jealous of their child for any reason especially health reasons and needing more attention. I know I'm on my soapbox but I believe that you can find the confidence to do what is right for you and to be stronge for your kids. try to remember that abusers never change. (feel free to email me anytime you need to.) there's lots of us out there that can relate to what you're going through and although there's nothing to make it easier it helps to have people just to vent to. my prayers go out to you and your family
Most MT's tell me it's hard to get 9 to 10 cpl now...nm
x
Not hard at all
I set up my Linksys wireless router myself and it was pretty much self explanatory. The Linksys help line is pretty good too, in case you run into trouble. Might have to wait a bit on the phone depending on what time you call.
This is hard for me to believe
I guess I am stumped as I do 180 to 220 minutes per day. To me 60 minutes means I am hardly working. I am not trying to put this down but this is definitely part-time and so you should be able to do it unless they make you do it at specific times and you like to make your own time to work. You just need to work toward goals and reward yourself for every 20 minutes you do. But if this is an account you will be on all the time, you should be able to whip out 60 minutes in less than 2.5 to 3 hours. You can do it. How many minutes/lines do you do a day now? You must not need to make money to pay bills, that is my biggest incentitive -- no money - no food or ability to pay bills. Patti
It is so hard
I feel so bad for you. I had to do the recently. I still shudder when I think of that horrible day. I don't know how I got the courage to do it, just knew I had to.
Was that so hard?
THAT is more along the lines of what I was trying to find out - not getting bashed just because I already have a great career and make pretty good money.
I never said I was looking to swich careers. In fact, I specifically stated that I already have a very fulfilling one and was just looking at MT as a part time thing. My husband and I recently had our first child and all of a sudden I find myself at home ALL THE TIME. She's a great baby, and I have quite a bit of free time on my hands at home and thought maybe I could fill it with this after a co-worked suggested it.
After sifting through all the available information online I couldn't make a clear deduction on whether I wanted to invest money in training, and if I did invest what kind of training is best.
I love having an office and getting out of the house to work every day and am not looking to change that. I am on a computer pretty much all the time and wondered if I could turn that into some cash - nothing else was intended from my initial post!
Are Ops hard to do?
It seems some MTs love to do them, but why do they seem so ominous? Are some harder than others? I've heard of MTs making normals out of them, thus, good money. They've just always scared me for some reason .
Thanks!
Hard to say
If you are getting way too much, it could be a sign your skills are poor. Seriously. But on the other hand, some of these QA people are totally anal and frankly a little power goes a long way...
You ask them: Am I receiving an unusually high amount of QA?
I have 20 years in the business and for some companies who completely change the "rules" (style, etc.) I can get a lot of QA trying to get me to do things "wrong" which ya gotta do for the paycheck!
Conversely, other accounts don't seem to monitor closely enough...
What kind of errors are you getting corrected? Minor picky stuff or major (dropped words, wrong words, etc.)?
It Would be Hard...
You'd be completely starting from scratch like the first time touching a keyboard, basically. Think of how long it took you to learn QWERTY and times that by a few :o). I guess you wouldn't be starting from scratch but worse; you'd be forcing yourself to throw away something that is 2nd nature to you by now.
Of course, it's possible :o). I'd love to learn, too, but I seriously doubt I have the patience and determination to do so! If you go for it, good luck!!
it's hard
It's hard to get any acute care experience without working inhouse. It is also very helpful to have other MTs there for assistance, cuz like you said acute care IS A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.
very well said...It can be done but it is very hard...
definitely have to manage time wisely for sure...
It will be a while. Don't be hard on yourself. Take
xx
It is possible but hard to get - sm
you have to file a claim and your employer the files their side of things and they usually win 9/10 times. My SIL was "fired", wrongly, filed, her former employer fought it and won. Of course if you can prove you were fired for no reason or they had no grounds then you have a better chance at getting it, but it is still hard. It is basically for people who get laid off or otherwise lose their job through no fault of their own.
rad reports
I've never heard of such a thing and I wouldn't want to do it. Just curious. what company is it?
I do OP Reports also, about 500 lph. nm
x
X-ray reports
One of my accounts are beginning to do simple x-ray reports, chest, foot, hand, etc. Anyone have samples as to headings, etc. I have not done them for so long, cannot remember headings such as Exam, Indications, Findings, Diagnosis, etc. They just told me to take what they say and make it "look professional, nice and neat." "As you always do with our reports" they say.
Thanks for your help.
ER Reports
I am going on a job interview and I have to type some ER reports for the skills part of the pre-employment exam. I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find some examples of them. I have been out of school for a while, and right now I just do surgeries and clinic notes. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I need this new job so bad, it has great benefits.
|
