Thank you for response. :( I figured it was nearly impossible for transcribed lines.
Posted By: Acute Care on 2009-04-11
In Reply to: That's 352 lines per hour (SM) - Night Owl
I think my co. wants me to quit...
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1000 lines a day, impossible? sm
this is not unrealistic. On a good day, I can easily do 16-1700 lines! A mere 1000 lines per day is NOT an unachievable goal, even for a newbie or semi-newbie. My company requires 1200 lines a day, which I believe is about average! 
Well, I just transcribed 1500 lines in 3 hours. sm
I work on the same account every day, same dictators, lots of templated reports I did myself and put them into auto correct. I get up early, start at 7 am and today I was done by 10 am. Cleaning the house now. Also, the line pay is slightly higher than most, so 1500 lines is fine for me today.
On harder days when the account is really behind, I get up and vacuum the house after 3 hours of transcribing then come back for 1 hour. If things are caught up, I stop for the day. If not, I will go back in the evening.
I can't sit for 6-8 hours straight. Making $160 bucks in 3 hours is good for me and enough. Tomorrow is another day!
Use templates and short cuts - that will help! I have whole reports in my auto correct, but you have to listen through and change and correct things as each patient is a different case.
I do have to tell you, I do not get this many lines every day in such short a time. It just happened that today was a good day. 
Hope this helps.
It's nearly impossible to get by even on
This biz stinks more every single day.
Not impossible more improbable.
I didn't say it was impossible. Just not the norm and harder to prove. As in this case.
they are already impossible to reach
18,000 lines and your rate increases by half cent, whoopee. MQ is a complete joke, a bunch of greedy, phony liars. This whole business is in the toilet and i'm just sorry I didn't start school for a dif career sooner to be out of it NOW. I'm gradually having to cut down on spending because my rate of pay is not up with the times, severe hand pain day after day, condescending technicians and supervisors. I feel trapped.
hahahaha - yup, it's impossible!!!!
x
Appreciate your thoughts, but all of this is impossible.
For so many reasons. As one poster stated, these boards only reach about 10% of the MTs (very small number). I, among others, have written numerous letters. Heck, I even wrote to Obama, my congressman, major news papers, news programs, news magazines, etc. It does not do any good. I filed a complaint with the Employment Comission and Labor Board on the working requirements and procedures (that got me laid off).
Another very important thing to consider here is that not all MTs are unhappy. I was for a very long time, but I am quite happy with my working conditions and pay at this time (even though I do not expect it to last due to the industry evolvement). There are also more MTs than not who can not afford to do what you say is a good idea (strike or whatever). Some will lose their jobs as I did and even if they did not, they simply cannot afford to go without pay for any length of time. How effective would all of this be if only a couple of people from different companies did this? We all work for different companies, and again, they are not ALL bad, even though there are not many of those left. There is also the consquence of them replacing us with near-newbies at even lower wages, increasing the company profits, and further damaging the industry.
Our only hope was the AHDI and they stabbed us in the back. More offshoring is being done to cover the tax/cost implications currently in motion, again further damaging the industry. I just have to believe that it will evolve to its worst, and then swing back our way. Wishful thinking, I know but that's all I've got.
I too felt like it was an impossible career
Now 8 years later, I'm glad I stuck with it. Before working at home, I worked for two years at a local hospital and that really helped me build my work experience and really helped when I went out on my own. By working at the hospital, I became familiar with the local docs and eventually got my own accounts with them. I had to let those accounts go because I moved, and now I am working for a small MTSO for the timebeing. I had no problem getting this job. I had applied to many different places and was overwhelmed with job offers. If you stick with it, it gets easier. You've invested time and money into this, have patience and see it through.
I have an idea. Let the MTSO do impossible
his business. Instead of expecting me to do him for 1/2 of what he is paying, let her do him.
Then it's impossible to comment on the QA's note. sm
There are, of course, situations where it's pretty obvious that an individual guessed at a term rather than either looking it up or leaving a blank.
For instance, when the MT uses a term that has no logical relationship to the subject being discussed, that's a pretty good clue that she did not look up the definition of the word.
I'm not saying that's what happened in your case; I don't know enough to say. What I would suggest is that you decide on one of two courses of action:
a. Let it ride. It's doubtful that the QA intended to insult you, although "please check the definition of terms that you're not sure of" might have been more diplomatic (or would you have liked that any better?).
b. Talk it over with the QA calmly. Let her know that you thought her comment was offensive and presumed something that wasn't true.
Either way, I'm sure you're already aware that it's always better to leave a blank than to use the wrong term - whether by "mistake" or by "guessing". I know that all of us take great pride in completing our work accurately and it just kills us to have to leave blanks (a wonderful attitude, by the way!), but sometimes its just unavoidable - and if you've done your reasonable best to resolve a blank without success you've done your job. Leave the blank and get a second set of ears on it. After all, the doc might have used a term that doesn't even belong there in the first place.
I hope you're able to resolve this conflict with your QA or get past it. I know how these things take approximately 63.795% out of the joy of your work! :D
LOL! Know just how you feel. They are near impossible to grow in SoFla.
aa
Yes its true. They seem to be setting impossible limits for everyone lately and you have to wonder
if they just want people to quit.
The best place to get experience is in a hospital. I think it is near impossible
to work from home without the valuable experience of working onsite with others around to listen and train.
The schools all hype everyone up on working at home, but it is not that easy!
had a dictator who would give me an impossible long-
unpronounceable name, like Thyvongngang Tamboyvonangouwengay - and then say "common spelling" like it was John Smith. Cracked us both up every time.
Impossible to give answer as it all depends
on voice recognition program, dictator, etc. I am working in such a lousy program lucky to get in 800 lines a day - it's the software - I spend so much time deleting what is there it is not even funny. I could type from scratch much faster.
If you have not transcribed using BOS
guidelines that is probably the problem. See which version they are using and get a copy.
One thing I've learned in life is it's impossible to
stand up for themselves. Maybe only 1 in 100 will even try. Sad to say, but we've brought a lot of this onto ourselves.
and this is how our records are transcribed =(
x
I have not strictly transcribed in about 10 yrs.sm
I work full-time doing medical transcription but I also have other duties that do not involve transcribing so I don't keep up with lines or anything like that; I get paid by the hour. I have worked 3-4 hours in the evenings for one of the national companies for a little over a month but I can't seem to get my line count up. I've only been able to do around 100 lph. I know it will take longer than it would if I worked 8 hours just transcribing. I would like to quit the other job and just work from home transcribing but I'm afraid if I can't get my line count up I won't be able to maintain my current income. I'm not a blazing fast typist, I probably type 75-80 wpm without any kind of expanders. Any helpful advice or encouragement on whether you guys think at my typing speed it is within reason to think I can make it to 150-200 lph? I've done straight transcription in the past but I never had to keep up with lines. I have 30+ years of experience. I just need to decide whether to keep things the way they are now or take the chance on income by production only. BYW, I transcribe acute care for the national.
I find infectious disease to be IMPOSSIBLE, with all the bacterias AND the meds.
x
I wanted to learn it, but I fear the learning curve would be impossible. sm
 since I can't take any time off from the qwerty keyboard. How did you make the conversion?
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!
You must live in Calif - finding a good old doctor is nearly impossible here.
It amazes me. But, it is true. The stories I have heard are heartbreaking.
I blame it on the cap they placed on malpractice suits. Doctors here are complacent. In my town, we go to Stanford or UCLA for serious illnesses. It is well worth the drive.
Your transcribed report would be your testimony, if anybody, for whatever SM
bizarre reason decided your input would be needed. Why the heck do you think you'd get called to court?
I got charged $75 for a copy of my old MRs, even though I transcribed it!!! n/m
:p
QA Help: Earlier I transcribed a report where
the doctor used a really offensive curse phrase. He was actually quoting what the patient said (ER report). He said place this in quotes. It was a really ugly thing to say (mother F word). Even though it's in quotes as what the patient apparently said, I felt uncomfortable actually transcribing it. And believe me I'm no prude. I've heard it all (and said some of it). However, it just seemed really unprofessional and not appropriate in a medical document. It's not like it was a psych report. In fact, it really had no relevance whatsoever, in my opinion, but I could be wrong I guess. So, I left a blank. But now I'm thinking, was that really not my call? Should I have just transcribed it? What would any of you out there have done? QA? What do you advise in cases like this? It's happened before but never as filthy as this. 
Contact the clients you transcribed for
n/m
VA accts transcribed offshore
My first editing job was for a company located in Virginia that has since closed and one of their largest accounts was for a network of VA Hospitals. I always wondered if they (the VA) had any clue that the actual transcription was being done in India.
It is 10 reports transcribed for free.
The OP states the account goes through transcriptionists. I wonder why? The OP states later on in the thread they go through transcriptionists.
I'm trying to protect Lisa from getting abused from the get-go. All she has to say is "my charge is" and go from there.
Too bad if they were already transcribed. Does that mean Lisa should take the loss? NO. Absolutely not.
Again, read above where the OP states "they can't seem to keep a transcriptionist."
To the OP: Charge them! You won't regret it. If you are an IC, you have every right to charge them.
Plus, look at rockinMT's post. She bent over backwards for an account and what happened? It turns out she was spending more time than it was worth.
These are all my opinions, and I am trying to give my opinion on what the OP should do in regards to reports that she transcribed and should, yes, be paid for since she was not aware ahead of time and especially because it is a new account.
What do I know? Ya know? I mean really? Just looking out for the best interest of the OP, but hey, that's just me.
The reports that are transcribed get scanned into
the EMR record. They do the same thing with the lab slips, x-ray reports, etc. The transcription is still performed in the usual way it has always been done.
I have transcribed from handwritten notes
and it was a nightmare. Sometimes the info was missing and my neck hurt like heck looking down and up, down and up. I charged per page. This dr went from dictating to these 5 page forms that he would fill out when he saw the patient. He scribbled and it was horrible. It wrecked my neck, so I gave it up. I was better off straight transcribing at lower pay than when I had to keep looking up and down from a page and no a stand for the forms didn't help because my eyes kept leaving the monitor, so it was hard to get back in gear only to have to take my eyes back to the handwritten form.
MTs by definition are hired to transcribed - sm
what the doctor dictates. We can't be expected to have to catch their mistakes - they're supposed to catch their own. That's why they're being paid the big bucks and we're note. Years back, we weren't expected to know all this stuff -- the meaning of every word we transcribed, the normal/abnormal lab values, what a particular drug is used for, and I could go on and on, and we were paid better, appreciated more & respected more.
I do agree that we must know how to spell medical words and words of English usage. That's what they get for their 7-8-8.5 cents per line. I do NOT believe that we should have to look up doctor's names, on our time, when the dictator has it right in front of him/her and would take him/her only 2-3 seconds to spell it, thus also avoiding any confusion. But I guess that would be too easy.
I didn't always feel this way. Years back, when I was treated as a professional and compensated accordingly, I performed as such. If I want to flag a doc's mistake, I do it for the PATIENT'S sake (but for the grace of God it could be me or a loved one lying in that hospital bed) - and as a courtesy to the doctor. But they really expect too much for too little.
Explain you took on 2 acct at same time but find it impossible to do adequate job for 2 accts.
:P
I swear, I just transcribed Bill Cosby! sm
you know that voice that Bill Cosby does, kinda sounds like he's drunk? Well, this doc I just transcribed sounded like that!!! and it's workers' comp, no less. Just had to vent a little! It's still too early for all this! 
Not an MQ employee but have always transcribed via turnaround pool.
The office manager I worked for set it up so they could bill faster, i.e., ERs in 24 hours or less, op notes, discharge summaries, etc. She said it made for a better cash flow for the hospital. That's probably what MQ is trying to accomplish, maybe per client request.
copies of previously transcribed reports
What I always found helped, make copies of reports from the medical record charts. Make a few copies of each doctor and keep them in your desk that way you can refer back to the report when doing the doctor. You will get the hang of it. No hospital wants to go through the money and time hiring someone just to let them go right away. Usually you get about a three to six month probation period.
Guidelines are one thing, but if your client wants it transcribed a certain way, just do it.
p
My grandmother transcribed part time into her mid 70s.
,
I am filling out a job app and they want transcribed words per minute.
Thanks.
I have transcribed for doctors in the past who have dictated...sm
that the patient is heterosexual. I'm not much on what is politically correct or not, I just transcribe what the doctor dictates.
Pull up the whole period for which transcribed...see more inside
Say July 1 was the first day and July 14 was the last day - are you able to do a date-specific count? If so, get that on the screen, hit the "Print Screen" button (above SysRq next to Scroll Lock). Then open a Word document or go to Accessories and get either Word Pad or Notebook. Do a control C, which is the Word command for copy. This will copy the whole screen shot into that new document. Go to "file" on the task bar, do a "Save as" and name it what you want, say 07012008to07142008 or something so you will be able to recognize it. This will now give you a document that you can email to their payroll period with a nice little message something to the tune of "WHAT GIVES" or other equally professional question - just kidding, but now you have proof of what your total lines were and a bargaining tool. If you can only do it 1 day at a time, you can still use the screen shot method, but you will have a lot of documents to email if it comes to that.
Be sure to question them verbally by phone first as that might clear up any confusion. If not, then you can tell them YOUR line count and ask why your figures are so different. Just a thought. Good luck!
Meds are not given based on transcribed reports
Meds in hospitals are not given based on what is in transcribed reports. There are so many errors with transcribed material that everyone expects there to be errors in meds, either because it was dictated incorrectly or transcribed incorrectly.
Physicians write orders for drugs, treatments, tests, and procedures. They're in a different part of the record entirely. They're either handwritten or they are in electronic form.
That's not saying there are no medication administration errors, but just saying the likelihood of an error stemming from a transcribed report are almost nil.
oopsie! 2nd response in. Just followed 1st response.
"For 30 years, I've transcribed things by what is..SM
correct." This is where the problem is. Do you know that some of the most stubborn, difficult, argumentative, inflexible MTs I have ever met in the course of my career are the ones who parrot that particular sentence?
What was done or has been done for 30 years is not necessarily the correct way now. Language has changed. With the advent of VR, the way we transcribe is now more of a verbatim way than ever.
These 30-year MTs are still adding 's on to Down syndrome, still typing out the word "centimeter" even though it is no longer accepted as anything but line-padding....get my drift?
We're paying 9 cpl and everything transcribed plus spaces is paid for.
/
Depends. Did you just study or have you actually transcribed lots of tapes as sm
part of your training? If you can't put down on your resume that your home study included multiple tapes in many specialties, etc. you are going to be hard pressed to find a good job.
On the other hand, you might be able to type some orthopedics or pt notes (and then at least have some experience to put on your resume.) Orthopedic doctors have TONS of dictation. Besides their clinic notes, etc, most of them do IME (independent medical evaluations) which are fairly easy to do. You'll need some good ortho books to get you started, but most will let you start without the experience if you can demonstrate you know the terminology. Good luck. Get some experience and the doors will start opening REALLY fast for you. Sometimes, taking a low paying job is okay in the beginning just to get the experience. If you can possibly get in a PCP's office to help out with clinic notes (even offering to to backlog/vacation stuff, you will get good experience and your resume will look great for the future stuff that comes up. Good Luck to You. Hang in there and learn everything you can.
Let the docs use their reports transcribed in India as a defense! LOL
The doc can sit there while the personal injury lawyer shows the jury a grieving family and the messed up report.
US MTs should not accept sweat shop wages or conditions. We are providing a service to them! We are their first defense!:) :) :)
If US MTs stoped working for low wages, the physicians who value patient safety and their livelihood would pay a descent wage. The other ones can try to explain the report being done in India to the personal injury lawyer tearing him apart.
IMO, you violated a patient's confidentiality by even posting about this - that you transcribed t
I know you didn't give any personal info, but even mentioning this in a public forum on the "world wide web" - I don't know, I would consider that a violation of medical record confidentiality. I know some may post a sentence or a blooper or something, but this is probably something I would have kept to myself... I am sure you thought what an interesting coincidence when you show the show, but my opinion is you should have kept it to yourself, and if I was the transcription supervisor at your hospital and I found out you had posted on this.... well I would think that would be reason for discipline. No offense meant, just my opinion.
Here is my understanding of conversions of time dictated to transcribed
I was told once that the ratio of dictated to transcribed minutes was approximately 1:4 for an average MT for average dictation. So, if you've been given 300 minutes of dictation it might take you 1200 minutes to finish it, divided by 60 minutes equals about 20 hours. Obviously this is just an estimate and could very depending on a lot of factors, but this might give you some idea.
Another conversion I've heard is that one 65-character line equals 6 seconds of audio and so 1 minute of audio equals 10 lines. So, if you are charging by 65-character line, you may be looking at 3000 lines or so, which when using the above formula would have you typing at about 150 lines per hour for 20 hours, giving you about 3000 lines.
Sounds like this is very doable, typing for 7-8 hours per day if you have until the end of Wednesday. If it has to be back by Wednesday morning, you will have to work 10+ hours per day on it today and tomorrow.
;)
Christine
They don't remove eyes based on transcribed medical reports. SM
Hate to burst your bubble - we're important, but not that important.
I take great pride in doing great work and doing a bunch of it.
I figured it out... nm
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