Visible black characters (VBC)
Posted By: KRFan on 2007-08-20
In Reply to:
As of the recent AHDI/AAMT annual meeting, it appears that the method of line-counting known as VBC (visible black characters) is becoming a trend.
All MTs should read the following report from Perspectives in HIM, February 14, 2007.
http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_034023.html
To summarize: counting by VBC results in a 31.5% reduction in line count, compared to the traditional 65-line (with spaces) count.
Thus, to avoid a pay cut, any MT now earning 9 cpl should be raised to 11.8 cpl if line counting is switched to VBC.
This is a critical issue, and it does not appear that AHDI is taking any action to promote fair pay for MTs under VBC compensation plans.
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Visible black characters without spaces being included. nm
s
If you do a search for VBC or visible black character there should be some old threads.
I know that some platforms rolled over to this (without warning in some cases). IMO, if they pay by VBC then the line rate should increase accordingly,or pay should be set based on a lower count character line like the companies that already base pay on a 55-character line.
In some cases MTSOs have changed the billing parameters but not the production/pay parameters.
VBC (visible black character) method of measuring productivity. SM
I just read an article about this in the Advance mag I get biweekly. It seems the MTIA, AHIMA, and the AAMT are endorsing the VBC method of measuring productivity for transcription. Basically, that means they don't want to pay for spaces. So they are finding another way of screwing with our money.
I know there are several services out there that don't pay for spaces now and quite frankly I won't work for a company that doesn't pay for spaces. I'm a firm believer that transcriptionists should get paid for every single keystroke, but that rarely if ever happens. Now with those three major industry organizations endorsing not counting spaces, it may be the case that all services will adopt the VBC method and we are all going to lose.
Oh, the AAMT says that the VBC method will create a "level playing field throughout the industry" and allow for a "great opportunity for the industry to engage in a real discussion about the inherent value of transcribing and how pricing under the new defintion should reflect that value." The AAMT also states that MTSOs should consider an MT's "critical thinking skills and interpretive judgment" when discussing compensation.
Yeah right. Like MTSOs have been considering anything more than the bottom line and pumping up there pocketbooks. To them we are machines. I'm tellin' ya medical transcription is circling the drain.
usually one "word" equals 5 characters, so it's still being paid by characters. nm
d
Black widows are shiny black, females have red spot
There aren't many males around. After the mate, the females eat them lol.
We have black widows galore here in Calif. I actually keep frogs in my yard (provide ponds for them) and they have made a big impact on the insect population.
Remember to always wear shoes (something I try to do).
No it isn't visible
I'm not sure what you are talking about (or if you have the wrong idea of what plastic surgery is ... there is no "plastic" involved). They just remove skin and muscle (along the edges) and tighten up the face. Any cuts are hidden so none of the thin minimal scarring shows.
You just look like a regular person (unless you get a bad surgeon who does something strange) and age the same as the muscle and skin carries on as usual.
Not trying to convince you to do anything. I just don't understand where your concept of the whole thing is coming from.
But I bet that it is visible that work has been done
on your face. Then you do not look so young anymore. Then you get questions like:
'Oh, you look so young, all of a sudden, what did you do to your face?'
A no for me!
New learning website! Visible body...
It's free!
http://www.visiblebody.com/
blood or visible bones?! lmao - I love it!
nm
Make the sign very simple to read and put it in a very visible area
such as over the doorbell if you have to.
Some younger kids may not be able to read a lengthy sign.
Maybe "NO CANDY HERE" will work.
I know having the porch lights out does not work for my house either but whenever we came across a house with a sign I would have to tell the kids since some of them can't read yet to pass that house up.
13 cpl 65 characters. nm
x
more characters
well, if there's not enough lines available, there's just not. However, most employers don't mind if you add "articles" such as "and" and "the" when the doctor may not exactly say it or you can make complete sentances out of incomplete ones. as long as your employer or doctor's preference is not verbatim, that's fine and most of them prefer it actually. you'll eventually "train" yourself to do it automoatically. most employers don't mind you adding a few "the patient" in there either as long as it's not excessive. word Expanders are good too. i use shortkeys. also, if not already in place, maybe 4 characters for the year (on the date) would add some. may sound like little things, but it adds up! good luck!
Also get 2 more characters if use okay.
x
characters (with spaces) / 65
xx
Is 11 cpl 65 characters good pay for
for an IC doing discharges with alot of difficult to understand ESLs. Just started with a company that I thought I was going to be doing mostly Ops, but that has not been the case. Do you ever get to learn and perfect the ESLs. I hate leaving so many blanks. Any suggestions?
how many characters per line?
http://www.medicalese.org/line_count.html
Usually 2 cents more, so same as 11 cpl 65 characters. nm
x
90 characters per line SM
It's a long line. However, when you are finished transcribing the 90 character lines you take a character count and divide by 65 and that's your line count. It doesn't matter if there are 120 characters on a line, as long as you divide the character count by 65 and multiply by 9.5 cpl, that's how much you get paid.
Clear as mud?
90 characters per line
I just started working for a new company and was told I would be paid for 65 characters per line, including spaces, at 9 1/2 cents per line. I noticed when I was transcribing that there were really 90 characters per line with spaces. Has anyone ran into this problem at their jobs? I'm not sure what to make of it.
Number of characters used
Wondering how many accounts are charged/or pay a per line rate based on a character count and if 65 is always the # of characters per line used or can that vary?
Thank you.
It said my speed was at 600 characters. (sm)
Make sure you reset it and then take the speed test.
It thought it was kind of neat how it showed how much it is typing for you and how much time you save.
Totally cool little feature on there!
Characters per line - sm
With all the discussion going on about CPL, I wonder what character count ICs use, that is if you have a choice.
Without spaces, what line is that on? 65 characters?
t
You can count your lines and characters yourself sm
even if you have no counting program. You can copy and paste into a word document or clipboard and count the characters in Word. At least you will have some idea of what you are being paid for. I have done this many times and if it doesn't add up to what the company's count has, I was right on the horn and sometimes even quit because of it. I will not be cheated in any way by any one.
It would mean NO spaces included if it's only the B/W characters. Better ask for sure! nm
s
About 8.5 cpl 65 characters including spaces. nm
n
65 characters w/ spaces = ? lines
Anybody know any valid convertions? I would really like to know how many characters w/ or w/o spaces 1,000 lines converts to. Thanks for your help!
Pay by line versus pay by characters; what is
nm
Depends. How many characters per line?
nm
Do both count the same # of characters per line?
If they're different (65 characters per line, 55 characters, etc.), then you need to let us know what they are before anyone can give an objective answer.
You are paid for all characters that appear on the "screen".
Line count includes all the characters that print out, not what you typed in to get that result. Keep using that expander; you've already seen how it has helped improve your productivity.
Boy, if it worked the other way, I'd never use an Expander again and would make even more money with the typos!
Very good point! I say go for more characters!
I used character count, 65 characters. What I
personally like about The Abacus is it will create an invoice for you, listing each document and the characters, lines, however you want to count it. It gives you choices on how to count.
A 65 character line is 65 characters
on a line. If have 650 characters in a document, that is equal to 10 lines, then multiply that by whatever your cpl rate ie. If 0.10 cpl then that would be 650 x 0.10 which would equal $0.65, if 6500 characters, then that would be 650 lines x 0.10 which would equal $6.50. This is if it is a 65 character line including spaces.
A 65 character line is 65 characters
on a line. If have 650 characters in a document, that is equal to 10 lines (650 divided by 65), then multiply that by whatever your cpl rate ie. If 0.10 cpl then that would be 650 x 0.10 which would equal $0.65, if 6500 characters, then that would be 650 lines x 0.10 which would equal $6.50.
can you put bold characters in autocorrect?
ss
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think courier 12 gives 65 characters
is less characters since it's larger. So you probably have a 60-character line instead of 65. You are probably making more money this way. Plus a gross line usually pays if there is anything on a line...not just 65 characters. Each line is counted separately so if it ends with one word, you get paid for a line.
When I was taken from a gross line count to 65 characters, I estimated a 15% reduction in lines. That's just a guess.
Think about .07 a line ---IF a word is considered 5 characters - sm
So that would be 5000 characters/65 (if a 65-char. line), gets you ~77 lines. Divide 5.5/77 and get .07. Now are spaces included? If so how is that factored in? Presuming from the offer that spaces are not included, .07 is fine if just starting and probably the average if less than 2 years experience.
how many lines does 90K characters equal out to roughly?
I'm thinking 1300 or so! That would be 90K divided by 65 characters = roughly 1300. Am I correct on this?
Gross lines are not counted in characters.
A gross line = any number of characters on a line counts as a complete line. The actual number of characters per line will vary.
Bytes versus characters? Does anyone do their billing this way? sm
If billing by bytes do you divide this by say 65 (standard line), same as for characters? Thanks so much.
Formula is: Characters PLUS spaces / 65 = lines. (nm)
nm
65 characters constitues a line, no matter where
they are arranged on the page. You'd count all the characters (and spaces, if they are included in the count) in the document and divide by 65...that's the number of lines.
Hope that helps!
Yes, you are paid for every line whether it has 1 word or 65 characters
I would think so anyway if it is straight gross, paying. Remember you physical sometims have short lines, family history, etc.
It depends on how many characters constitute a "word."
If it's 5 characters per word, that's a 55 character line. So 1,000 lines per day would work out to be 55,000 characters. You'd make $65 for the day.
Take that same 55,000 characters, divide by 65 cpl to get 846 lines times $.08 equals $67.69.
If you go to HBO they have chat area and someone predicted they will kill the characters off (sm)
one by one, and a few other predictions. I'm really going to miss this show. I guess the last one in August 21st. I will say that since all the TV companies seem to be ending the shows I watched the most, it'll make it easier for me to give up TV this fall, dang it.
Line padding is also adding little blank characters
like spaces throughout the report to get paid more. I saw reports at MQ and Sp that had lines of spaces shown on reveal codes between paragraphs where someone either didn't know how to work their expander, was cutting and pasting, or was deliberately padding their lines.
As for typing out abbreviations, I work on an account that doesn't use abbreviations at all. I use otcx for over-the-counter, etc.
How do you put in little blank characters with a macro and not have it show up on report?
I never heard of this type of padding and I'm not sure I'm not doing this by mistake.
Does the dividing by lines sound right instead of characters or words?
tia
Both 65 characters per line -- one counts spaces, one doesn't NM
X
all work types - 3000 lines a day @ 12 cpl 65 characters
18 cpl transcribed line - private hospital account. These are the only specifics I am willing to give.
Do not e-mail me and ask where or who - I will not reply!
I understand companies are paying 4 & 8 cpl edit/transcribed. I do not work for a company. I caught a hospital account using the platform at the right time and signed on quickly as an IC.
Hope this helps.
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