What percentage productivity gain do you get with InstanText?
Posted By: samsa on 2007-11-01
In Reply to:
Am thinking of switching. I currently get 400% productivity with SH8 (it types 3 characters for every 1 I type). Can anyone out there get similar figures with InstanText?
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POLL: Productivity gain using your expander and what expander you use.
Guess I need to make it work harder.
Where can I get the Instantext
no message
Need some InstanText help, please sm
I am trying to figure out how to use the singles glossary. The one I have is full of stuff with several words for each single letter of the alphabet. Delete all of this? Make up a new singles.glo? I am merely wanting to change i to I and use the letter j for pain and p for patient. Not have a complete glossary by any means.
Also, despite the fact that I have the "cap the first letter of each sentence" box checked, it never does this for me. Do a need a glossary running for this?
Right now, I am using only the glossary I converted from SmartType. I am not sure how to handle the singles or how to get the silly thing to cap for me.
My software is Bayscribe, ExText and InScribe (Emdat) and it does this no cap thing with all of them. I need it to cap for me because these 3 programs do not support the automatic cap for the first letter of a sentence. I am also spoiled because Word will do this most of the time for me (there are glitches, but you know 90% of the time is still most of it).
Please feel free to use my email. If it is easier over the phone, I'll pay for a call, your choice.
InstanText question
Since you have used both Smartype and InstaText, I have a question for you. Does InstaText come with something similar to the SmarType bar that is directly under where you are typing? That is one thing that I would miss. I have tried other Expanders and just can't get the hand of looking at the bottom of my screen. TIA!
Smart Type, versus InstanText and ShortHand, etc.
I have used all of these. I hated ShortHand. Shortcut was not much of a short cut. Smart Type allowed me to type the most in the shortest length of time, end of the story. HOWEVER, Smart Type will limit your career since you can't use it in Windows and all these strange platforms that are out there.
InstanText versus Smart Type with the same library...only very slightly less production and I am not proficient with IT at all, not yet. I almost like IT better than ST because the order of expansions is static. ST for Word will rearrange it all for you each and every time you open it. I liked the DOS program a lot better and I can never have that back. As I am learning IT I am again becoming familiar with my shortcuts. I had gotten "sloppy" about typing my actual abbreviations because ST will let you type a couple of letters and you see the word in the line, space bar and it drops in. I am working more than one job so I have enough work and I use ST for one and IT for the other. The more I use IT the faster I am getting in both IT and ST. I am thinking that once I have adjusted the IT to the best possible fit for my needs I'll switch completely to IT.
Ladies, it is not really about the expander, it is about the library/glossary. If you only have a few hundred entries you are working way too hard. You need thousands of entries to maximize your efforts (I have about 22,000 of them). This is one of those times when it is different strokes for different folks.
There are many libraries/glossaries out there, some you can put into more than one program, some are program specific. Some are free and some you have to pay for (I give mine away). Get a good one, learn to use it, "think" in it and stick with it. That is how about any of them will pay off.
I can tell you, 75% GAIN weight. But you might need them for a while anyway.
x
Gain knowledge sm
I think I addressed this before, you cannot get enough knowledge to put in your bank. If they are willing to pay you, soak it in like a sponge. It's hard, I wanted to quit so many times but I went from "duh" to "diva" by blood, sweat and tears. It's worth it, hang in!! Knowledge is power.
Do it, you have nothing to lose and lots to gain -sm
Years ago I started a Paralegal certificate program in Annapolis, was 4 or so courses into it, then we moved to Richmond, VA and I started to go to University of Richmond for their Paralegal program....I took 4 classes there but then "dropped out" right after my second child was born....that was 6 years ago. I had every intention to go back 2 years ago but then my mom got sick and life when down hill from there. Things are finally normalizing now and I (again) plan to go back in the Fall, have to budget it in as it is over $900 for 1 class, I have 18 more classes to take, this will be one expensive certificate but it is an excellent school (private hence the high cost). I have extensive office administration experience so this can only enhance my current abilities and I look forward to working in the law field one day. So IF I keep at it at 3 classes a year, I will finally be done in 6 years. At that point my kids will be 12 and 14, and I will be 47. I plan on doing it though I will be an old lady (LOL), so age is relative. I do not feel old even though I am 40, remember "Life is a state of mind".....quote from "Being There" (I think I am remembering that correctly).
time to get gain control again
Hayseed, I feel for you. It's not worth it, no matter what you are paid or the benefits. Sounds like THEY are in control of your life, not you and you resent it, as you should. My advice would be to get control of the situation again if you are able to (work something out with them) or move on. This is just not worth it. It really isn't. Not worth your health, the sacrifice of your peace of mind. Your body and emotions are rebelling big time. You deserve better. You know it and that's probably part of the anger you are feeling. You're no newbie who must endure just to get experience. Think about a change for the sake of your own health.
Gain 100 pounds! That's pretty sad that anyone
would want to LET themselves go like that!
I hope you're kidding, but in some ways, I do know that transcriptionists sure do gain A TON OF WEIGHT!
weight gain and depression!!! nm
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Percentage?
Can anyone estimate a percentage of letters/words straight typed versus expander? I am quite sure no one type 100% expansions, but I am hoping some of you can give a good estimate.
I make lots of them but am wondering what your ratios are.
Thanks for your feedback! 
You can only take a percentage of
things related around the home if you have an office. I take 7% off of anything around the house, but not 100%. I take 50% for the internet. I do take my office supplies off, but only a percentage, I do use my printer for things other than work. Having a home office and taking deductions is a red flag for the IRS.
not out to stir the pot or gain brownie points
Okay, I'll tell. I work for an MTSO that is known for its standard of hiring only the best of the best MTs. The only feedback I get is for the exceptionally good work I do and the raises it earns.
I just think the OP is conflicted...trying to "set" us all straight while s/he studies to move out of this profession and still projects that the rest of us should care about it - as if anyone who has been in this business has not kept up with the changes; where it used to be, where it is now and where it is heading.
I do my part through the work I produce. My work ethic would hold true whether I produce reports or greet people at Wal-Mart. I have nothing to prove or need the attention as it seems the OP does.
Again, this is a waste of bandwidth.
You can only write off the percentage actually used...
for work. Who uses 40% of the space in their house??? I write off 10-15%. You also must use that work area for work only. Come audit time (and it eventually may happen), you will need to show a floorplan of your house and what area is for work exclusively. If you're writing off 40% you will be in deep doo-doo. 
but what percentage of hospitals allow that?
From what I've been reading ... the home-based service MT is averaging 8 cpl, for those dictators which make you run screaming from the room. And, I don't forsee things improving. Then again, some are lucky enough to make a line rate worthy of their skills, without worry about the dictators from Hades.
This is a bit out of date: http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos271.pdf
Percentage of ESL dictators
Have been lied to on 2 jobs now and it is about to give me a nervous breakdown wondering how in the heck I am going to pay my bills with so many ESLs. They tell me 35% or 50%.....90% or more is about right. I'm looking for a non-MT job after almost 10 years as an MT.
Percentage of loss.
Line pay it's about 15% if my calculations are correct and as far as vacation/holiday pay, it's about 27%. So sorry for you.
Some companies just take a percentage
of each report to compensate for headers and footers, not what those headers and footers actually are. The same thing happens to me at my company.
What percentage for state and fed? nm
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Not many. A lot of Indians use Canada as a crutch to gain US business and
for processing. You'd probably do better at MTGab since it is a Canadian MT site.
I started MT to gain skills to eventually work....sm
outside my home. I was working another small business from home too and had been home for 13 years total. My MT skills got me a job as a secretary for the Army. My first position didn't pay a lot, but it was still about $3.50 more an hour than I could find anywhere else locally. In August 2006, with promotions etc., I will have had total increases in salary of 45% in two years. My next move is to start taking some college courses (which my employer will pay for) and applying for positions with a more defined career field. Having a hard time figuring out which field, as I have a lot of options/opportunity.
Working from home served a huge purpose, but since DH is also self-employed, my current job adds a lot of security to our family in terms of health/life insurance, retirement, paid vacations, etc. I added up the cost of all my paid benefits vs. paying out of pocket as an independent contractor, and they were worth another 35 - 40% of my salary, which will increase once I start taking college classes.
If you are not looking in the medical field, gear your resume towards your other skills. MTs have a myriad of skills (research, computer, organizational, listening, following instructions, bookkeeping). If you are an independent contractor, you are more than an MT, you are a small business owner, which puts a host of additional skills on your plate. Get creative and look at some on-line resumes in different fields, you will probably be surprised how many skills you have.
When I decided to look for a job, I researched all the highest paying companies/opportunities within the distance I was willing to travel and only applied to those companies. It took about a year and a few interviews, but I eventually got exactly what I was looking for. I still get calls from some of the places I interviewed/applied offering jobs.
No, the problem was HER and then don’t use the kids as a crutch to gain sympathy.
Some of us are not into the reasons she listed for her plight or lack of as we heard from her. I have no sympathy to her, for her, towards her, nothing. I am sure others feel exactly the same as I do. This person trying to get over on you, me and any others she can. What a deadbeat.
Yes, renters can write off percentage (sm)
of apartment/house used for work. In the area where it reads, "rents," you can write off percentage of house used.
Brother is a tax attorney and helped me out with this. I used to pay a fortune, but no more! On top of that, if you are claiming under $25,000.00 they don't even check for small businesses anymore.
Just trying to help. You sound like a tax man! A tax man will say the same thing, you can't write off this, you can't write off that, but if you read the IRS publications there are a lot of things you can write off. They don't want to end up in tax court, want to run through your return and get it done. They don't care if you pay a fortune. If you have receipts for everything what are they going to do? The IRS is not going to bother with our piddly incomes. 
How is the error percentage calculated? nm
nm
I do all ER and only a small percentage are gruesome. sm
The bulk of them are minor car accidents, asthma attacks, chest pains, bug bites, high blood sugar, household injuries, rashes, babies with fevers....and on and on and on. I thought they were easy to learn and get used to because so much was so similar, docs use the same formats for dictating. The charts flow pretty quickly and I make good money on them.
What would be a late fee or percentage suggested?
I think your idea is excellent. Other companies do this. Why can't ICs? Of course we can. But how do you decide on the late fee amount? Certain percentage after a certain number of days. What is the usual company procedure on this? Does anyone know.
Does hormone replacement (specifically low dose Prempro) cause you to gain weight? nm
nm
What type of doctor specializes in helping people gain weight?
I'm kind of baffled on what my mother should do, and I'm hoping that someone out there has typed a report on something like this.
My mom weighs 78 pounds and cannot gain weight through diet. She has seen several doctors, and they are not sure what she should do. Is there a type of doctor that specializes in this?
Her history is that she had a severe H. pylori infection. When I was a kid it was so severe that her stomach ulcers hemorrhaged and she went into a coma for a while. By the time H. pylori became an actual diagnosable condition, the infection had eaten away most of her stomach. She went on antibiotics finally, but by that time she had to have the majority of her stomach, some of her intestines, and her gallbladder removed.
She now eats quite a bit, but everything runs right through her. She can't gain weight no matter how much she consumes. She has tried all the protein drinks and even tried eating large quantities of trail mix with no results. She can't gain weight no matter what she tries.
She has seen several doctors and a dietician. None have have offered any real solutions and all have questioned whether she is anorexic and just hiding it.
Does anyone know of a clinic or hospital that specializes in this? Are there any types of treatment for this?
You pay your home state tax, whatever percentage that is. You can claim
deductions for anything associated to your job....i.e., a percentage of your utilities, expenses such as supplies needed to do your job, etc. Save all receipts for any of those items that you purchase related to the job, and I think the 1099 would be sufficient.
As far as I know you can earn up to a certain amount - you cannot exceed a certain percentage of the
salary you were making when you took your disability. I do not think it is uncommon to work as you could certainly not make it on disability alone.
So MQ explains how they arrived at the increased production percentage for ASR.
It appears to be a good study with what was excluded. However, don't tell me about the opportunity for increased financial gain with this so called wonderful increased production of 30% when you decrease my pay by 20%. The only financial gain I can see in all this is in the profit margin for the company.
Own accounts, line charge, MTSO percentage
I think you might have posted this same question about a week ago. I take anywhere from 20 to 30% on an account from my IC's that covers my being the QA, the accountant, the customer service rep, the go between and the relief transcriptionist. I really think you MTSO is being more than fair. Stop and think if and when you get your own accounts, would you only keep 25% if someone was typing for you? Sometimes it is hardly worth my time to keep the accounts for the IC's as the time I spend on those accounts I accounts I could be typing and earning $30 to $40 instead of the $10 to $12 that I get when someone else types it. Remember when you have your own accounts there is no one to cover for you when you are sick, your child is sick, you go on vacation, holidays, etc. There is always a flip side to the coin. I do wish you luck but there is more into doing your own accounts than you realize.
It is irrelevant what percentage the service takes of 'your' earnings...sm
what matters is: is it worth it to you to work for that rate? On some accounts, my IC's might make only 50% of what I charge the client, on others they might be paid 80%. For one physician, I might charge 12 cents a line - if another calls, says they are in a jam and desperate to get their backlog done, I might bid it at 14. But if you are satisifed with say 8.5 cents a line, it doesn't matter if your MTSO charges them 9.5 or 19.5.
As far as line rates to physicians, again, it depends on what the market will bear. You could call local physician offices and tell them you are an independent MT service and you are getting price ranges for the locality, and ask the OM what they are paying. That would give you an idea of what is competitive. In West Virginia, they might be charging 18 cents per line, in Chicagoland they might be charging 11.
The line rate
It depends. The side effects can go either way - weight gain, weight *loss*... sm
Or no weight change at all, but maybe some other unpleasant side effect. Or you might have only mild side effects, or none at all and it's like a miracle cure for you. ;o) Everyone is so different, you never know until you try a med. for yourself.
productivity
I purchased Shorthand and Jon Knowles program. I have about 500 shorthand entries. During downtime, I add more. I have set hours. I get up like I am going out to work. Shower, put on m/up, comb hair, etc. Make coffee/cereal, and do a few household chores before I sign in at 8:30. I do not move until I have done 25 reports. Take a 15 break, take out some for lunch, type 25 more reports. Eat lunch while I am watching a few mins. of Y/Restless. Look at email..Look at local paper online. Email buddy in Texas. On Mondays, take a few minutes to discuss D/Housewives. Type 20 more rports. Watch 15 minutes of Passions. And for the afternoon stretch, I type until I have about 80-90 reports. If my baby stays with my sister, I will type until I have 100-120 reports. During school year, I might type straight through until I have 40 reports. You just have to stay focus. A few days a month, I take an hour lunch away from home to be around grown people. I have been doing this 7 years and gross about 40,000 yr b/c I also do taxes. You have to stay focuses. I plan on making about 52,000 this year. In between I wash a load of clothes, iron, etc....plan meals. Just stay focused. I get depressed if I have a week paycheck less than a grand.
Productivity
How in the world do you accomplish so many lines.
I am genuinely interested in any advice you might have. I struggle to meet minimums when work is available.
Thanks!
productivity help
I need any advice, tips, cheats that you can offer to get my daily line counts up. I use Instant Text and autocorrect but I still work about 12 hours to get about 900 lines. I'm supposed to be working 8 hours and getting 1080 lines. I am really frustrated...can anybody help, please...
productivity
there is a great book called saving Keystrokes available through Amazon.com. It helped me alot.
Where do you usually talk about productivity?
I don't see a board for increasing productivity. I usually just post questions on the main board but think I will get more information if I post questions on the board specifically for productivity.
TIA
Can someone help me on productivity board? SM
I didn't know if that board is frequented a lot, but posted a couple questions there.
Thanks so much for your time.
Chickadee
It's like a tic with me. I can't help it. I correct it then. That is BAD for productivity. nm
x
Please help on Productivity board. TIA nm
:+
See productivity board.
//
Productivity Board?
Where the heck did the productivity board go?
That was the best program ever, especially for productivity. sm
That was always my argument against Windows - it slowed everything down, but progress moves on and I was forced to move on.
Now, I can just only remember what a great program that was for what we do.
productivity programs
Our company is currently using Winscribe dictation system, but they did not buy the transcription side of this, which creates a database and templates and saves the work to a file.
I am looking for productivity program that works the same way that is reasonable. ADS may be one but I have no feedback on this.
Any suggestions.
Bayscribe productivity.....
For anyone who uses Bayscribe, do you do real well productivity wise on one account and then accomplish absolutely nothing on others? The short notes, the in and out, in and out business; it takes up so much time, I have just spent over 2 hours with just under 200 lines. Is anyone else's experience the same?
BayScribe productivity
I have 2 accounts that I work on, and I do seem faster on one of them which is the more difficult one oddly enough. I don't feel like I go in and out a lot. I love the fact that everything is done on 1 screen (demographics, transcription, and copies). Having to toggle through a ton of screens is one of the reasons I left my last company.
Here is a macro from Productivity.com
/
Have you tried productivity talk? You can also
google it.
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