Rule of thumb on dictation. A dictated
Posted By: sm on 2009-04-24
In Reply to: more info - Jennifer
minute on average takes 3 to 5 minutes to transcribe. So, at the top, 60 minutes of dictation can take up to 5 hours to transcribe. Would not do it for less than $20 personally, and then based on what I do now I would be losing money.
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My rule of thumb is a $100 minimum
Of course, closer relatives and friends receive more, but always at least $100 for graduations, wedding gifts, etc. when someone is an acquaintance.
Rule of thumb - THERE'S NO FREE LUNCH
If you don't want to do much, don't expect to make much. That's just the way it is.
Rule of thumb in the NE is October & April when
the time changes. Daylight Savings starts in April and Standard Time in October. It always works for me. Change all the clocks and change all the batteries.
For those who haven't done so yet, though, better get changing. 
I use Verizon mobile and the rule of thumb with mobile broadband is...
Basically, it will work whereever your cell phone will work. If your too remote, it may not work, but I do know a lot of campgrounds like KOA offer Wifi, which means you should be able to pick up that signal too. You can always call ahead to the campground etc. I use mine going down the road for the most part but every great while going through the mountains I lose reception.
if the docs dictated in an orderly fashion, clear dictation, enunciated
every word, spelled patient's names they couldn't begin to pronounce but try anyway, but then if they did all that VR or a monkey would have all our jobs because then "anyone" who could type could do our jobs.
One for the thumb!!! nm
tt
I know what you mean about the thumb.
I also stretch my wrists, hands, fingers often and it helps a lot!
I agree, my right thumb too, cause it's the
My right thumb aches constantly, sometimes to the point of almost a burning feeling. I know it's because I use this thumb only for the spacebar!
thumb w/ mind of its own
I just recently noticed that my left thumb likes to extend when I use that hand to type. It is not to the point of being sore or achy, but it is feeling kind of stressed. I don't know of any other way to describe it. Does anybody have or has had the same issue? How do I make it stay down? Help!
thumb issue
I was thinking that might be it. I do not have an ergonomic keyboard as of yet. I might want to get one pretty quick. I did try buddy taping it to my index finger and hand earlier. That seemed to help too, but took a little getting used to.
my thumb issue was due to
De'Quervans? (I'm not going to look it up right now) tendonitis. It's located on the side of your wrist by your thumb. Mine got pretty nasty, had to go the route of cortisone injections then finally surgery but 7 yrs out and no more issues or pain.
thumb problems
It could possibly be DeQuervain's tenosynovitis. I had it. I was in a lot of pain for a long time. Finally had surgery after several cortisone injections and physical therapy. All better now, though. Good luck.
thumb issue
it is DE Quervain's, I know because I do PT reports. Whether or not this is my problem, we'll find out. I have an ergonomic keyboard coming, as I am not going to mess around with this. I did put a hand towel under my wrist pad. It is helping for now. At least, I don't have to buddy tape. That's a pain. lol. Pun intended!
Actually the ones I have do not have fingers, just a thumb.
I really love them, There is a strap around the wrist to adjust the tightness, but the neoprene is a great fabric that seems to work really well for me. I hate to recommend anything because sometimes what is good for one is not so good for another. I would recommend going to a surgical supply store and they should let you try them on, that is what I did.
Thumb soreness
Anybody have any remedies to help with sore thumb. My thumb is constantly sore from hitting the space bar. The longer I type, the more my thumb is tender. Any suggestions to soften the blow to the space bar
A good of thumb is 30%, that should cover everything.
x
ExText-sore thumb
Does anybody have trouble with a sore left thumb from doing speech recognition in ExText? I have been doing it now for 5 months and have constant pain in my thumb. Just wondered if there was a better way of doing it.
Left thumb backspace keyboard
I can backspace with my left thumb and space forward with my right thumb. No reaching up with my pinkie to the backspace key at top right. It's called an "Erase Ease" I think. Let's me fly.
But it isn't a "rule of thumb" anymore...Carla is right...sm
Bella, it's not a "rule of thumb" anymore. That was before the advent of word processing software. Word and WordPerfect do automatically adjust the spacing at the end of a sentence to make it more readable and pleasing to the eye. The only reason so many companies still ask that it be done is because that USED to be the norm in the time of typewriters and that's what we learned from Gregg. Companies I work for who are newer generations and know about the ins and outs of Word and WordPerfect know that they adjust automatically in order to put a clear, able to see, nice looking space at the end of a sentence.
However, with this being said, the original poster should still ask her contractor/client/company what they prefer. It is never left up to us unless we're the owner of the contract and developed the template or format ourselves. Especially if it's an MT account that pays based on character lines. Some would say that extra space is no big deal, but just how many Keystrokes do you think that is in a day hitting that extra space after a period? Maybe enough to make up about 10 extra lines or so? Probably. I'd rather get paid than not if they don't want you doing it and you are anyway.
Soooooo, after my ramble....always ask your supervisor, etc.
DG
Is it at the thumb base? I had mine x-rayed, and it
NSAIDs and wearing typing gloves seems to help. Also, after the initial 1-2 yrs. of constant pain, it did settle down considerably, now only hurts if I use my hands for twisting, such as opening jars, wringing out wet washcloths or laundry, or using screwdrives instead of a power drill bit to assemble, dissasemble things. I also have a lot of pain riding a bike. I padded the handlebars as much as possible, and try to ride with the the sorer of the 2 thumbs resting on top of the handle bar with my other fingers, not gripping it.
Anyway, good luck, and hopefully it'll settle down in a few months!
My left thumb is the only "finger" I don't use, carpal tunnel is bad enough already.nm
x
I just noticed my right thumb twitching. I tell ya I'm falling apart! Last week my rear end and
left leg were going numb and now my thumb is twitching. Ya know how you have your thumb poised above the space bar, well whenever I pause my typing my thumb twitches slightly and softly taps the space bar. I keep rubbing my hand hoping it will stop. Anybody else have this problem?
Maybe I'm getting to old to be an MT anymore. Been doing this for almost 14 years and never so much as had a headache. Now within the last year, I have head, neck and shoulder problems with muscle spasms and tightness, my rear end problems, and now this! Frustrating to say the least! 
Had a Sony hand control years ago, then my thumb killed me! nm
..
You RULE!
What a win-win situation!
I wish the animal shelters took better care of our pets (since they are a part of the government and all). I don't know why those shelters smell so bad; the shelter in my county stinks so bad that you are constantly aware of it. Taking care of displaced or hurt animals should be a big part of their job, and they could take measures to ensure the animals don't get sick. I understand all about their being overworked, but then someone should report to the higher ups what is needed, and then there should be no problem meeting those needs.
In a neighboring county where I live, the public went toe-to-toe with the director over the animal division; demanding answers about the operations and procedures. (That director said he needed a new building, but the public thought the changes should be made in their operations and procedures.
When I want a dog, I always adopt (so far over the years I've adopted 2 beagles).
Nice post!
First rule of being an MT
That's what I was taught. Everyone is in the same boat and has to take the bad with the good. Refusing to do the hard stuff makes it worse for the other MTs on that account, and they will not appreciate it. Until the problem doctors go poof and disappear, nobody has the right to say they can shove all the bad jobs onto the next MT because THEY are here to make money (everyone is, and someone has to type it). And there is such a thing as Karma - one day you might log on to find ALL the work is the dictator you dread, because all the MTs that came on before you felt entitled to leave the crap work for YOU. You really won't make any money on that shift, as opposed to doing a few bad jobs each shift. So type them as you get them, like the rest of us.
If everyone got together and went to management about the problem guy, that's one thing (and yes, we all feel this way about at least one doctor). Deciding you don't have to do it because you don't want to is quite another, and often grounds for disciplinary action. Work is often just that, hard work, and with time and practice it becomes easier. Nobody promised you a rose garden, challenges are what this job entails.
MY first rule, before being MT. is I have to
x
and think, the Dr. may have dictated that
At least you ARE concerned about it. Many wouldn't be. Hang in there!
Has she ever actually dictated a sm
report in the format that she is required to do. I do forms for a cardiologist in this manner, but when I first started working for him, he actually dictated the letters. I think all physicians need to include certain things for a new patient, and then can do follow-up letters without including past medical history, allergies, etc. I wonder if she has any colleagues that would be willing to share samples of their reports, but that specialize in the same field.
The first rule of being self-employed is that
you set your own line rate. However, we all know that NONE of the MTSOs hiring IC MTs allow us to set our own rate. They "offer" a rate, and we accept if it's OK.
I worked for a real cheapo doctor when I first started out. He paid hourly and kept riding my backside to type faster because he only wanted to pay for the actual time dictated instead of the time it took to transcribe. More than once I told him that it takes an average of 3:1 typing to talking ratio to get it done. It worked out to be $.03 per line. I dropped him like a bad habit. He bounced through a few other transcriptionists who all quit on him before he wound up having to pay to outsource to a service.
as a general rule...
I use an "f" after any abbreviation that I want to expand. I just use the standard abbreviation plus f, so I do not forget what they are. My ShortHand is full of things like this.
ex: cbcf tcpf tshf
Works for me!
date rule
Thanks. My mind just blanked and I couldn't remember. It seems like it has changed so often over the years!
I have been an MT for 33 years and the rule has always been...sm
to use mg when preceeded by a number.
and there are so many exceptions to all those rule! lol
that's the english language for ya! I really don't know.
My rule for semicolons
is that if the two statements support each other and each statement could be a separate sentence, I use a semicolon. Example: He underwent an ultrasound in March 1999; AT THAT time he was noted to have BPH. The sentence you asked about should be done like 'NM'says: He underwent an ultrasound in March 1999, at which time he was noted to have BPH.
Thought that was already a rule
Hmm...I thought that that was already in effect, that no US Govt transcription contracts could go overseas/be outsourced - at least the V.A. has that standard in place...
ROFL at what this MD just dictated...sm
NEUROLOGIC: He does have diminished memory. I did start him on Aricept for this last year, but he has forgotten to take it.
They pay per minute dictated. Sux.
Especially when they assign the work. It's not fun when all your work is less than 1 minute, two line reports, ESL docs, etc.
dictated, not read
I'd take it as a compliment.
If the docs dictated like that, they would never get anything done, lol
nn
H&Ps dictated by a very thorough dictator. nm
Doesn't have to be dictated...but he does
xx
Exams Dictated But Not Done
I transcribe for a local multispecialty clinic and have seen many of my own reports. It just gripes my butt when the doctor dictates a standard physical exam and I know for a fact that he/she hasn't even touched me. Did not check my heart, lungs, abdomen, neuro, extremities, etc. The only things that are legit are the vital signs. It's like if I come in for a sore throat he looks at my throat but nothing else. My fibromyalgia clinic NP only talks to me - no exam at all - yet she dictates an exam, review of systems (that we didn't even talk about). She will say conjunctivae and lids are clear; PERLA, etc., and she hasn't even gotten within 6 feet of my eyes. This just doesn't seem right. And when you have labs or other tests, they NEVER call you back with the results. My PCP never suggests any preventive testing - I have to ask for it myself. I know they're not all like that but my eyes are opened much wider than they used to be. It's all about getting it done in under 15 minutes and on to the patient in the next room.
I always leave these as dictated.
Let's say you're Asian and have a doc who seems to possibily have a bit of an ''attitude'' about your ethnicity. In perusing your own medical records, you see that this doc uses the term Oriental instead of Asian. There's some confirmation that your suspicions were correct, allowing you to make a more informed decision about your medical care and who you want providing it. Especially true with the word Negro, IMO, which I haven't heard in quite some time but have actually had dictated and left as is, even if I had the leeway to change it.
IOW, I think it's a patient's right to know if a doc is using words like that, so I don't change them.
Doctor who dictated during the PE sm
I had a doc I used to do who treated a lot of brain injuries and strokes. He always dictated during the interview and PE. He would say, in front of the patient...the pt is completely obtunded...the pt is befuddled...the pt is extremely obese, just enormous...the pt's mom is once again out of touch with the pt's needs...and so it went.
The noise was sometimes out of hand, he was a grumbling gravely dictator and that IS all part of the job. It is the thought of being his patient and having him be so brutally honest, well it smacked of unprofessional behavior.
I had a podiatrist who was "too busy" to dictate the day of service, so he would dictate on Sundays. One weekend, he dictated 8 reports...from the bathroom...in the span of about 20 minutes. I got to hear the toilet flush no fewer than 6 times in 5 dictated reports. He kept pausing to concentrate and it wasn't on the report he was dictating!
If the noise is too bad, it gets a blank. I don't care what they say and I don't care where they are when the dictate, but please don't make me know that you have the crap$ while you are on the phone with me. Plainly, I don't want to know.
I would type it as dictated. nm
nm
type as dictated
The word lesbian, unless used in a derrogatory manner, is simply stating the patient's sexual orientation, which could be quite relevant in a psych report. It's the same as describing a patient as a heterosexual female. Not intended to "label" someone, simply stating a fact. I see no problem with typing it as dictated.
I transcribe just what is dictated.
x
I do think, if the doctor dictated this
you should put it in the report.
transcribe as dictated...(sm)
Transcribe as dictated: "Patent shotty veins." This is perfectly acceptable as is and does not require rewording.
dictated / typed
Doctor says "jiddo, jiddo, jiddo" - what does this mean" Why.... 0-0-0 - OMG. The things we put up with for no money.
Dictated Minute
There is/was a transcription service called Alert and Oriented that pays by the dictated/recorded minute. You might try doing a search on that company to see if any MTs posted their experiences being paid by time using this method.
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