Should I change dictation that I think is not politically correct? sm
Posted By: Sarah1114 on 2009-05-08
In Reply to:
I transcribe part time for an older physician who speaks very casually and by and large is dictating notes to physicians he has been friendly with for years and years. He uses a lot of slang and calls patients "gals" and "fellows", etc. Mostly I type verbatim but sometimes I'm leery. Like today, he dictated someone as an "oriental" lady, which I assume would be correct as "Asian." His wife is the office manager and I don't want to offend them or step over my boundaries by questioning his judgment. Any suggestions or advice?
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Politically correct
My understanding is that some consider it politically correct to capitalize "black" but "white" is never capitalized. Both are adjectives unless my grammer totally fails me, and I don't know when adjectives started being capitalized. As for "politically correct," I take great pride in being so NOT politically correct. Another good example of AAMT and BOS total bull IMHO. HOWEVER, if the employer or their client wants every word in the sentence capitalized, makes no never mind to me.
Politically correct
Definitely change to 2001 standards of speech! Speaking as a 73-year-old transcription instructor, some of us old folks love to learn new things. Just do it, and if he or his wife should question you, tactfully explain that the original dictation would be offensive, and you wanted to save them the embarrassment.
Rosie
Back before politically correct
we never worried about the small stuff, such as this. Now people are worrying about giving out grandparents history?? What difference does it make either way?? When I go to my doctors office, any doctors office, they want to weigh me. Why?? They are not giving me anesthesia so really no reason but they want to do it ANYWAY. People are so paranoid now days, OMG I tell you my mother had cancer, my grandmother had heart disease, what difference either way. Just do not GET IT.
Even 4.5 is too low. doctors do not change - they still hem and haw, change, change stuff along wit
It is just not enough for the work. Speech is great on the wrists but you are not just reading what is typed, you are making a lot of changes. I have a hard time doubling a lot of days with all the changes I have to make. Just my opinion.
Don't change. I had to change back to cable. SuddenLink DSL stinks! nm
nm
Change provider vs change to business plan
In your place, I would seriously consider changing providers if there were others available in your area, but I'd ask around about their service quality first. It may not be any better. If there are no other providers, then consider changing your service package to a business account rather than residential. They're usually more expensive, but they also tend to get faster service if there's a problem.
Last summer, I had no electricity for 3 days due to severe storms, but there were some 600,000 in the same boat with me. We just had to wait it out. It's a downside of working at home.
change attitude, change life
The first thing you need to change is that defeatist attitude! I know that's hard at times like this, but that's when you need to most.
I won't go into detail, but my financial situation is also at an all-time low, we couldn't even exchange gifts., daughter in hospital twice, & no med insurance)..but then I heard about how much worse things were for others around me this season. Now I'm thankful instead!
Do it correct always. It will learn. Everyone has to do it correct all the time. nm
x
If you are careful with putting the correct report in the correct report shell and patient, you will
not have any problems. I only take away this option when someone is careless. There can be NO room for error on this. One mistake can be very serious. Many do it well though, so just double check and you will be fine.
Get out while you can. Things will *never* change unless you change them. (nt)
It's THEIR dictation. They want what THEY are
dictating. If they use poor grammar, etc., that's not the MT's fault!!
Many don't trust the MT to make appropriate corrections and I can certainly understand that.
dictation by doc's
you're absolute right about the hospitals doing something about how doctors dictate and it probably wouldn't take that much effort to do it, but they're not going to do it. If the dictation is wrong, the MT will get the blame regardless.
low dictation
This is several hours of time just disappearing.
? min. of dictation per day
What is considered the average amount of minutes for 7.5 hour day. I'm thinking 45 to 60 minutes???
PA dictation
You must be lucky! Our group had two PA's and they literally "outdid" each other to see who could dictate the fastest. I got used to them, of course, listening to them all the time but many times had to stop and look up a med to be sure of the dosage because I couldn't tell if they were dictating 5 mg. 50 mg. or whatever! They seem to have an "attitude" too; we had one female one who really thought she was hot stuff. If they were that good, why didn't they spend the extra time and $$ to go to med school???
RE; Dictation
Kept forever. Chart is microfilmed and kept. Regular transcription is kept for 10 years supposedly at hospital I worked for.
I just had a dictation where
he stopped dictating mid sentence in the chief complaint and I Iistened to silence for about seven minutes (maybe he fell asleep, I dunno) and then he says, "hello? hello?" and hangs up!  Gotta luv this job! 
60 min of dictation
How long should it take someone to do about 60 minutes of dictation on average.
Thanks you.
60 min of dictation?
My own personal average is about 1 hour for each 15 minutes of dictation.
Can't help with the dictation but...
 LOVE YA!
Hope that helped.
Dictation
The problem is that MTs are rarely in the workplace any longer. When I originally started in transcription years ago, we were in-house and accessible to the doctors. I would tell the the speeders to slow down. We had one ER doc who loved to look through reference books for words to use. I would tell him nicely, "If you have to look it up, spell it and save both of us the hassle." That usually worked. But now, most of the time, they have no idea who is transcribing their work and as long as it gets done, that's all they care about.
Yes you need to change everything to
reflect GA as your residence. In my state you have 30 days to notify DMV of an address change. You don't have to be head of household to claim office expenses and can claim in GA if you meet the criteria needed for a home office.
From someone who has BTDT be sure you have a legal contract with your renters, even if family member and do a video of your house before you leave for your protection. Also you might want to look at getting some additional insurance. I had a trusted family member living in my house for a year, rent free in exchange for upkeep, and they practically destroyed the house, which is why I suggested the above.
I once had a QA from HS change BMI to PMI sm
This was in vital signs. The pt BMI was 35. She/he changed that to PMI.......
Anyone else have any QA mistakes they'd like to share?
DID MQ CHANGE THIS?
The very first QA notice I received when I started (January) was to double space at the end of a sentence. I felt like the biggest dummy for not knowing this. But, after viewing these posts, I guess it is not such a common knowledge thing. I NEVER, NEVER hear from MQ. I wonder if it is because I don't have their e-mail. I know they have my e-mail address, but NEVER hear from them. I wonder how many CHANGES I have missed?
change that from 375 to
365, but feels like 375.
Wonder if they will change
the offshore concerns board to the offshore board.
Actually no change at all...
just venting. Sorry to have gone on and on with being upset and angry all day and other family issues that have caused stress. I could state my personal life on here and all of my business dealings, but do you really need to hear every bit of a story? Should I recount every little detail about my work habits as an MT? Is that really necessary? Fine, I was crying and upset in the beginning thinking of ways to find work, what to do, then that turned to anger. Then that passed and I realized how businesses are run and that posting on a board and not editing my post and misspelling words and not using proper grammar (EMPLOYED AS AN IC) is just unfortunate I guess for me and I won't be posting on any boards any time soon. As far as the year of working as an IC (hope that sounds better for you) there were plenty of times when I made mistakes and yes, even the MTSO admitted to having made a mistake or two and overlooked a document and then paid me for it on the next check or found something she thought I hadn't turned it and I actually had and I covered for someone who was sick that day and did extra work and yes, I really made a few mistakes when I missed the TAT. I am not wanting to hear something terrible from anyone, like, yes, you should write a letter. I guess just a little venting and typing out loud and..wow, I hope things get better soon too. Don't worry, everyone, PLEASE don't worry!! I didn't do anything terrible, I didn't send a nasty e-mail to anyone, I didn't write a letter and I apologized again to the MTSO.
This is what I am saying. She isn't going to change.
I'd begin trying to drown her out with the stereo or a water fountain that is somewhat loud and runs all of the time. I'd not say anything at all but what you could do, in a kind way, is when you talk with her, say something to her that you overhead her saying and then mention that you didn't mean to be eaves dropping but that sound carries and it is impossible to not hear her. Keep it friendly. A neighbor who dislikes you makes life hell if they are the kind who act out.
Name change SM
They should change it to DEFUNCT
Does anybody change
just the first few reports to get the difference in price per line and just use the new rate figured to calculate for their font and margins?
In other words, if the difference is 2.4 cpl or whatever, you just add that to your rate and count lines with their font and margins without changing them each time. Would that be kosher?
I was wondering if you could make a macro to do it. Excellent idea!
Thanks everyone.
MY WAY TO CHANGE
If you have a "normal" set and you want to do another temporarily, you can add the font/pitch icons to your toolbar. I always leave them there anyway. Then you put your cursor at the top left of the document and click on the font and pitch you want and they will be good for the whole document, unless you bring in one from somewhere else (like Instant Text or another document) Be sure your default is set for any text you bring into documents to match the document you are on (the document you are on determines the font and pitch, etc.) Or, if it is a permanent thing you are doing, set up a template for it. You can set up in instant text too, if you save with the format on it.
I have yet to see any name change
Everything that i have gotten from them lately has been AAMT and nothing else.
We can now compete with China. What a mess this is.
Change happens
Lots of jobs that existed in my lifetime do not exist anymore. Telephone operators were replaced by automated switchboards. Key punch operators are no more. And in the near future these jobs we do, too, will be no more. It isn't the Indian MTs that will eventually make them go away; it will be the improvement in voice recognition and all the blaming and complaining won't change it. The key punch operators and the telephone operators went to work doing other things, and we shall, too.
Name Change
The only way to change the name is to control T out of the document you opened and then start the document over and make sure the patient info is correct on your document info screen before you enter or say okay. Word pulls in the patient information through a template so you can't modify it once you're in the actual Word document.
change
I was reading your message with interest and an open mind, until I saw the word "dear," then realized the unnecessary condescension and patronization of your message.
I'm about to change over...
to just my laptop. I use the laptop for traveling, which is very convenient, but I have to "synchronize" my laptop to my desktop whenever I'm leaving because my client may want something that I typed on my desktop while I'm away, which I wouldn't have access to, of course, so I save work onto the laptop, etc. Also, I'm getting ready to have to update some software for a client, so it will be cheaper for me to just work from one computer rather than having to purchase two licenses of the software I need to upgrade two computers. I use a 21-inch screen, and an ergonomic keyboard. I will use a docking station for my laptop, so I can still use my big screen and my ergo keyboard. It will look no different, and it will be much easier when I'm traveling. I will just unplug the laptop and go and it will have all my current work on it, so no having to pull from the desktop to save onto the laptop, etc.
Change 4 the better...
Personally I am elated about the demise of Sheri and Co. - they were the nutty as a fruitcake and banned people left and right (including me) if they dared to disagree with ANYTHING they said. This site had become the joke of the industry and I hope they fail miserably trying to get another site going. I'm staying right here and away from those two kooks!
A lot needs to change
You say that the Indian MTs are willing to do ESLs and harder work types? First, what I have heard is that they are often sent the easy stuff, but only the companies that send work overseas know the truth. Secondly, the Indian MTs are most likely trained and have lots of support and feedback to be able to do the harder work types and ESLs, as you state they are doing.
How many MTSOs here are willing to take the time to train new graduates? Most ads say at least 3 years of experience if not 5 or more. Going to one of the top schools is not enough. We all know that. We still need time to transition from school to the real world because transcribing real reports versus reports in school is a totally different thing. If more companies were willing to give the new grads a few weeks or months, then the quality of the workforce in America would be better. We all know that this is a profession that requires lifelong learning to do it right. How many MTs actually spend the time to read up on procedures, drugs, other specialties to understand better what they are transcribing?
Somebody needs to get the doctors to dictate better. The way some doctors dictate I honestly do not understand how they expect anyone to understand them. They should be forced to undergo training. It is not only a matter of making life easier for an MT it is also a matter of ensuring that the correct report is being established. If the doctor dictates by speaking clear, at an acceptable speed, in a quiet environment, this would result in a large number of reports being transcribed faster and with the correct terminology, dosages, drug names, diseases. If reports can be transcribed faster, this would mean more money for the MTs and MTSOs.
How many MTs out there actually proofread their reports before they submit them? How many MTs are more interested in being able to say they can type 200 or more lines per hour versus saying they proofread every report and make only 150 lines an hour? I have seen reports that started out with a latex allergy and at the end of the report it had turned into a Lasix allergy. I have seen reports for a female patient with "he" and "him" mixed inbetween. These are clear examples of not proofreading. How often is mcg typed instead of mg or left foot evolves to right hand? These things can be dictated incorrectly by the doctor and that is when we have to leave blanks for this to be corrected. We can only do so if we actually listen to what is being said, proofread and check these things before we submit the report.
If someone is paying for poor quality, don't you think they would choose to pay the lowest price for that poor quality?
The basic problem here is that way too many jobs in too many fields have already been outsourced to other countries, and if no one speaks up, then soon there might not be any jobs in the USA. Outsourcing is not only an MT problem.
I see that there a large number of problems in the MT world. Who is really still interested in the quality of a medical report? Hasn't it all just turned into a matter of spending the lowest amount for a report to be transcribed? Also, why do so many MTs switch MTSOs so often? How can it be good for the companies and how can it benefit the MT? Who controls what an MTSO does? Why are MTSOs so afraid to approach a lousy dictator? When you consider how much time and frustration is involved in trying to figure out what some of these dictators are saying, wouldn't it be better to approach them and convince them that they need to do better? How many MTs are out there that have no training at all?
At the end of the day we should all be interested in producing an error-free document to ensure patient safety. "We" includes the MTs, MTSOs, and the dictators. "We" need to work together to find a solution. "We" need to look at ourselves and be honest about what we do to ensure a high-quality document. The MTSOs need to look at what they are doing, and the dictators need to think about what they are doing. There should be rules and regulations but also an organization that oversees these and takes the appropriate steps.
I do believe that there should be a law against outsourcing medical reports overseas. All reports should be done in the USA. I also believe that greedy people have turned this profession into something different than it should be. For each and every person involved in creating a medical document the patient should be the most important part of this document and ensuring that the correct information is being put into that document. How many MTs, MTSOs and dictators are doing that?
we could probably change the
word medicine for money and find this same discussion in any bank or credit union. The worst breech of confidentiality I ever enountered was in our local credit union when someone told me they would not tell me who told them, but that someone at my bank told them not to worry about us after my husband died because I had just deposited the life insurance check. For once in my life, I would have gone after somebody's job for that one. AND, I have typed plenty of reports of some of their employees and never said one word. This should be just as privileged as what we do and I expect the same consideration and respect from them.
Job change
If you are making 10 cpl and you live in a rural area, I think you are doing pretty good, except for benefits. Have you seen the job postings lately? ekk...6,7,8 cpl... I live in a Western City where we used to make $25-35 an hour at 10-12 cpl (yes some still do), but ever since V.R. became popular every Hospital and Medical Imaging Center and Clinic seem to be sending work to services. I have been doing this for 24 years and I thought I would be able to do this forever also, but we still have a high cost of living and less pay. I have bad wrists and I am not sure what else I can do at this point. I am a caregiver part-time as well to supplement my income, that doesn't pay much $11/hour but it helps. Good luck
You are so right, and it's such a welcome change
to hear from someone like you who cares about your workers. Hats off to you! The best of luck to you and your company.
I have often said to my fellow MTs and friends that companies and MTs should get together nationwide and lobby.
too bad they don't change the sm
laws to read if you QUIT your job for no reason, you cannot get assistance period! It just might stop some of this stuff. People with this attitude don't deserve to have kids anyway.
I never change what they say - sm
I have one guy that says either African-American, or negro, Asian, Filopino, white, caucasian, etc. The only thing I may change is sentence structure/grammar if they butcher it. Have been told that is fine as long as I don't change the meaning of that they are saying. I generally only have to do that with one ESL I have.
You may want to consider a change
I had a great job for 10+ years working for local doctors (4 different locations) but they went to pen charting so that is when I found out about working for nationals. I thought my first national job was great for a while but because of certain things I decided to try to find another place. I spent a good part of a year trying MANY different MTSOs until I found the one I am currently at and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. My husband was doing our taxes this year and was like "how many places did you work for this year !??!" It took a lot of frogs to get to the prince but I really like where I am now. Plus, the job I thought was so great before turns out not to have been as my current job gets me twice as many lines in the same hours (meaning platform is better), no ESLs, 7 doctors TOTAL and I will gross over $40,000 this year. Plus, there are bonuses, no holiday work and a great Monday to Friday schedule, MY schedule, not theirs. They are out there but it does take time to find them. All in all it took me about 18 months to find my perfect fit. I hope that helps you.
Ever think that maybe 15% is going to QA because of LOUSY DICTATION? nm
x
You never listened to the dictation to know.
No, decent dictators can form complete sentences. They don't erase every single word interlaced with ah, um, er, then sit there so long that a 15 minute dictation only has 43 lines. If a person can't complain about having a bad day to her fellow MTs without getting jumped on, what does that say about your personality? The only B**** I see here is YOU.
Same here. Give me the dictation, I do it - sm
I return the reports, give me the money. End of story.
Worrying about a friendly supervisor is pointless. Just do the work and take the money.
80-100 minutes of dictation
Can anyone tell me approximately how long 80-100 minutes of dictation takes to do with variables I know of a good or bad dictator but on average. A 60 minute microcassette tape on both sides of 120 minutes, is that something to compare this to? Thank you.
235 seconds of dictation...sm
and less than 20 lines!!!!  And he ends the dictation at 200 seconds, then proceeds to shuffle papers and say "end dictation" 50 times...come on already, END THE DICTATION! No respect! 
re:243 seconds of dictation
I actually have a picture of my cat laying on my Dorland's sound asleep...he was looking for the definition of "uhmm"
Bad quality dictation
What in heavens name do you do after starting work with a company and the dictation is so lousy qualitywise with static and the voice fading in and out. Is this normal? Left lines in every report. ??? Help?
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