Speedtype Questions

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I just recently went back to work in the office at a local hospital. We type in both Meditech and Cerner, depending on what you are typing, i.e. Medical Records reports versus Radiology.  We are currently typing blindly in Meditech, meaning we do not have access to our line counts and must depend on management to give us our totals.  In Cerner, we are able to run a line count report and print out a hard copy of our line counts at the end of the day.

We are finding that 800 lines in Cerner equals about 500 lines in Meditech.  We are not paid per line nor do we have an incentive plan, but we have a new HIM Director who would like to institute an incentive plan and the administrator over our department has laid down the law and decreed that all transcriptionists not making minimum in the department will be written up.  Problem is according to Meditech line totals that we have been given, that would be about half the department.

The transcription supervisor has taken our concerns to the new director who told the MT Supervisor to hold off on writing people and has taken home all the line counts from the last month and she is going over them with a fine tooth comb this weekend.

I am not a very trusting soul by nature, so I am doing a little research on my own.  I've been in this business for about 15 years.  I started out in a hospital and have worked for a few services at home and am now back in the hospital setting.  So I know a few things about line count and I consider myself to be pretty well informed on trends and technology in the industry.   I would like to walk into our next department meeting armed with as much knowledge as possible.  So I have come up with some questions that I would like some fellow MTs to answer, give opinions, and maybe even direct me to websites or individuals who could give me a better understanding of Meditech and Cerner.  Here are my questions:

1. Is it possible for an MT to have access to her line count in Meditech or is strictly a management function?  Any MTs that work in Meditech on this board, do you currently have access to your line counts and if so, how do you check them?  Is it an option on the main menu after you log into Meditech?


2. How is a line defined in Meditech?  (i.e. 65 cpl, with spaces, without spaces)


3. How is a line defined in Cerner?


4. What abbreviation Expanders work with both Meditech and Cerner?


5. Examples of incentive plans (if anyone would like to share that with me that would be great, if not I completely understand).


6. Measuring productivity by minutes of dictation versus typed lines.




1. What would be the minimum minutes required for an 8-hour day?


2. How would one structure an incentive program based on minutes?

I was thinking of presenting the idea that we keep track of productivity using minutes instead of lines since there is such a discrepancy in Meditech.  I also worry that if an incentive plan is put into place and we are still typing blind into Meditech, what's to keep management from shaving off a few lines here and there?

Feel free to email me or post here any responses.  Either is fine.  I really appreciate any input, comments, or just plain old supportive posts would be nice too! 

How do you use Speedtype with DQS?  I've been cutting and pasting from Word for two years and haven't received any complaints, but if there is an easier way, please let me know! 

medical words whatsoever and you have to add everything.  Why in the world would the AAMT support this product and not any of the others? I spent over 160.00 on this product and my productivity has increased by ZERO.

I emailed for a refund and have heard nothing. I just hope that when I go to "resell" it they allow me with their licensing regulations!

Now I have to spend an extra 200.00 for InstantText which I should have purchased in the beginning - Can you imagine? 500.00 in the hole just to find which expander is best for you??/ I am highly livid right now. 

Hi I've been using ShortHand for a couple months now but I just downloaded the trial of SpeedType to check it out.  It seems that the two are EXACTLY the same!  How is it possible for two different manufacturers to have the exact same program?  It looks the same, all the functions appear to be the same.  This is really bizarre.

I must be missing something.  Are there ANY differences between Shorthand and SpeedType?  If so, what are they?  Why would someone pay twice the price for SpeedType if it is exactly the same??  Thanks.

but also have AutoCorrect and AutoText entries.  AutoCorrect/Text work fine for many MTs.  I hate the hand movements necessary for IT, although love what it can do as far as multiple glossaries and automatically creating entries from reports.  I think SpeedType is a high-priced version of AutoCorrect. 

With AutoCorrect alone I type anywhere from 200-400+ lph depending on the account I'm working on and whether it is a new one to me.  I've tried and used multiple expansion software and stand by my statement that AutoCorrect is a good expander. 

It's just fine if you don't agree.  Whatever floats your boat. 

Does Smartype work just like ShortHand or any of the other expanders?  Is Speedtype the same as Smartype or any of the other ones too?  I would like to try before I buy.   Thanks

MS Word's AutoCorrect.  I bought is and asked for help in transfering my AutoCorrect entries to it.  The owner kindly answered she would do it FOR me . . . for an additional fee of $25!!!!  Being as I had just paid $189 for it, I thought that was terrible!  Her instructions for doing the transfer do not work.  I honestly think it is just a ploy to make more money.

I finally did the transfer myself, after numerous tries.  Now I don't even use it.  Since it isn't anything "special," it isn't worth the trouble.  I much prefer IT to SpeedType.  In fact, ANYTHING other than SpeedType is better, in my opinion.

i am very interested in taking courses on mt and would like some help in guiding me in the right direction....can someone help me on that

If a person takes a job and finds out they aren't happy and then looks for another job, what happens if the recruiter overpromised?  Do they find another job?  And if they find another job and that one is running out of work all the time, do they start the search again? 

Final question....if they do all this, why do so many people on the boards call people who complain about companies good-for-nothing job hoppers who are never happy?

you can be an employee and ask, what will be my new

pay under the new plan.......NOBODY KNOWS.

you can ask what do you pay to be an Editor of voice recognition....

NOBODY KNOWS

But at the same time they want people to work for them.

Now you are saying there's a new mystery something?  This is

hilarious.

No legit company every does business this way.

Is this something that will happen on a regular basis?  How often do bipolar people get like this?  Is this the worst of it?  We both watch each other's kids a lot, and my kids absolutely love her.  But I'm a little worried now that it might not be safe. 

I'm also concerned for her as she just started a new job and is working on her master's degree.  I'm afraid that she may fail at both if she doesn't get this under control.  Is there anything I can do to help her? 

Do you find their work flow to be consistent - you don't run out or anything? It is really hard for me to decide to make a move - am not happy where I am at and want to come back home, but have really good insurance for family - I know there is no perfect place to work, but I would just like to enjoy getting up and working again without all the office politics. Thank you for being so open in talking - I find this board much easier to talk on than the previous one I was on - more open answers. Also, what kind of platform is used. Do you have to type in demographics and if so, do you get paid for them? Do you have a good word Expander and macros? It is so hard to make changes and want to know as many specifics as I can before I apply.

Thank you so much.