Yes, they have - I worked in management for a time.

• RE: OFFSHORING OF U.S. PATIENT RECORDS..SM - U.S. MT
  • I take this seriously; however I know doctors - who thinks it is wonderful! sm
  • American Public is who needs to be informed, not those perpetuating the offshoring! - Sarah1114
  • The problem is... - MT
    • You are exactly right. - Have worked on the business end (sm)
    • With all due respect, I must disagree with you..SM - U.S. all the way
      • You're totally wrong. - Very naive.
        • No the hospitals do not. Would you think twice if your contact was *** from SM - Evelyn and veteran MT
        • Not naive at all. Been in this industry for 25+ years and SM - U.S. all the way
          • No, not gullible. I've worked in - the hospitals for many
          • Honestly, you are about... - MT
            • Honestly, we may be a decade behind, but it still does not dimiss the fact that..sm - Quit the dishonesty
              • The facilities have not... - MT
        • All I can say is...SM - U.S. MT
          • The 2 largest nationals both list it in - contracts when work is offshored.
            • Most clients do not ask for offshore transcription. SM - cricket
              • Some do. - They know it is going overseas.
              • Yes, they have - I worked in management for a time. - contracts when work is offshored.
              • It's right on their Web sites... - MT
          • Check out the nearest HIM dept - in your local hospital. It's no
          • First of all... - MT
      • They do know... - MT
  • OMG, you hit the nail on the head. sm - U.S. all the way
    • Correct about breach of privacy and its NOT too late - Lvgonadream
      • someone just e-mailed me "how to write a letter to your Senator" - - Lvgonadream

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that is the problem with working at home - there are so many interruptions.  However, you have to remember that this is a real job - you have to commit your time to it.  If you worked outside the home, would you take a day off to help with the kids, would they let you bring the kids to work with you, and would anybody even ask you to do that? 

I know that flexibility is supposed to be a big advantage of this job, but it is only an advantage if you are willing to give up the income.  You have to decide, do you really want to make the money or do you want the flexibility?  If you want the income, then you are going to have to set yourself some hours, just as if you were working outside the home, and use those hours as working time and once those hours are over, then it is time for your family and home life - just as if you were out in "the world" working.

I have two IM's that work 4 days each and I average about 4,500 lines per week, 525 or so per day each doctor -- about a 30 minute tape, and when I am doing my monthly schedule I schedule 1.5 hours per day for each doc.  So that it 3 hours for that clinic.  My monthly total is about 20,000 lines and so yours is a little higher but if you have been doing them for a while you should have a lot of Expanders saved, physicals saved, etc to save you time.  I can average 350 to 450 lines per hour with them.  So I would guess that 6  hours per da, 3 hours per doctor is what I would shoot for.   Will the one returning from maternity only work part-time and that is why she is only 4100 lines per month?   But again, I look at my schedule each Saturday morning and schedule out what my averages are for the days coming and figure out my schedule.  ON M-Tu, Thu I work 4 hours morning, pick up and deliver, go to a clinic do EMR's for 2 hours, come home and work 2 hours --  my busy days, but then I have 2 IM's, 2 Surgical Oncologists, 2 GI's, 1 Hand surgeon, 1 plastic surgeon and 1 psychologist.   But total I don't put in more than 38 hours with pick up and delivery times.  My two IM's = 12 hours per week, SO = 6 hours, Plastic/hand = 1.5, Psychologist = 3; EMR = 10 and GI's = 4 or so.    Total monthly lines are probably 40,000 or so without the EMR's as I get paid by hour for that.  You just have to set time aside and stick to a schedule which is easier said than done sometimes but find out how your body works and when you are the most productive.  Work with that rather than trying to make your body productive when it doesn't want to be.   Also, again work with expanders, auto correct, etc.  When I do a physical I bring over the one from last year and add in the changes, saves me a lot as the diagnoses are almost the same.   Good luck.  It isn't easy. 

Hi all - just wanted to get a few opinions to see if I am being slow or if I have too much work on my plate.  I am transcribing for three doctors, two internal medicine and one orthopedic.  Right now one of them is on maternity leave but I am still having a really hard time keeping up with my work.  How many hours a day do you all think is reasonable?  Do you guys work eight hours a day and call it good?  I find myself on the computer from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays and then I still usually have to work weekends to either catch up or keep from falling behind.    At this point I am wondering if all this is worth it - yeah, I don't have to commute and I can work in my sweats and I'm here when the kids get home, but I don't have time to run errands or god forbid meet a friend for coffee, that's for sure! 

I guess my question is, how do you all manage your time?  Do you have set hours that you work?  Am I slow?  Are you able to sit and work for hours on end without getting up to do other things?  I feel guilty if I stop to clean the kitchen or start dinner or go grocery shopping! 

I have been an MT for going on two years and I have increased my speed significantly but I am still struggling.  I think I am doing an average of about 26,000 lines per month right now and when the other doc gets back from maternity leave that will add another 4100 lines.  Would anyone be willing to post their average lines so I have something to compare to? 

Thanks, any thoughts are welcome

I am new to this board, but not to MT.  I have been doing this for 13 years with an acute care hospital.  We went home about seven years ago.  My problem is trying to get in my typing around my family.  I have a 5 yo, 3 yo and 1 yo and my husband is a police officer with rotating schedule.  The kids go to a babysitter three days out of the week and are home on the days my husband is.  My husband is on me all the time to make more money, keep the house in better order, plus take the kids to activities (gymnastics, soccer).  I don't have a problem with any of that, but when he is home with the kids and when I should be able to get more typing done than normal, I end up watching the kids when he is outside, sleeping or is just tired of them.  I personally want to take them five days a week so that I can get into a schedule better.  I feel now that I don't have a schedule because if I get up early, so do the kids and then hubby doesn't get up so I'm taking care of them.  I stay up late, but then the little one will start crying and then I'm back up taking care of him instead of typing.  I feel like everything is chaotic and hubby tells me it is because I don't have a schedule, but I can't make one unless he is going to commit to REALLY watching the kids.  Can anyone offer me some suggestions here?  I am just about ready to scream.  Thanks all.

Tami

She started at minimum wage and now is an office coordinator and medical assistant for 2 surgeons making much better money (and goes to school at night).  She didn't work at 14 to pay for her stuff.  She stashed all the money away as she had always done with birthday and holiday money and so at 17 she bought her own car!  This child amazes me - she GOT the work ethic!!!!  *lucky mom here*  Actually it was more than luck....it was hard work on my part but it ALL paid off.  A lot of it was based on my own insanity.  I had to know if, G_d forbid something happened to me, that she could support herself, take care of herself, earn a good living, and keep on keepin' on in a forward-moving pattern.  She is doing just that!!

Proud mother here....

I just have to vent about companies that keep track of your actual "typing time" and then say you are not putting in your 40 hours.  I always come up short and not by just a few hours.  They have said I worked only 60 hours when I worked 80.  But they say "their system is not wrong."

For one thing when you look up old reports or do research on-line or if you walk to the fridge, that shouldnt count as "not working" as long as you are getting your line rate.  Also something is wrong because I dont take that much time looking up things.

Also how can they get by with making you work 40 hours when you are paid "production?"  This is wrong.  Either pay me by the hour or leave me alone!!

You have to be disciplined to make yourself work when baby is napping instead of maybe watching TV or doing housework, etc.   

I might also go the route of having a teen come into your home, or either trying a mother's morning out program at a local church/daycare.   I've been home since my youngest was born and he has never been in all-day daycare, but I did have him in a mother's morning out program 15 hours a week at a local church.   It didn't help a lot with my work schedule because I had an older son in school and was a room mom and tutored other kids, but that might be an option.  The only problem with the mother's morning out program is they are around other kids and tend to pick up every germ.  I finally took my DS out of the program because he stayed sick.  You were supposed to keep them off if they had green nasal discharge and I did, but no one else did.  Every time I got him well after 2 to 3 days back he would be sick again.  Other than that it was very good for him because he would not have had a chance to be around kids his age otherwise. 

If you are going to her to ask questions about software, blanks, format, etc., you are going to the wrong person.  Software issues for the help desk and blanks, format issues for QA.

Team leaders SHOULD just be routing work, seeing that there is adequate staff to do the work, etc.

Some places will promote their lead Transcriptionist into management, but that's often a mistake.  Having excellent transcription skills is not the same thing as having mentoring, motivating, planning, budgeting and interpersonal skills in a transcription environment. 

You've had a boss who thought you had potential in these areas.  Do you feel you would enjoy doing those things or would you feel the call of the keyboard?  Would you dislike delegating?  Would you dislike training because it's just faster and easier to do it yourself?  Do you like dealing with people, or do you prefer to deal with data and to be left alone to do your thing?  These are some of the questions to consider because the jobs really are different.

If you are truly tired of the rat race that is production typing and think you really might be interested in management, then check your local junior college or business school for classes on management/supervision.  They might be credit classes or they may be career/life enrichment classes.  They shouldn't be all that expensive, and they should give you a better idea about whether this is the path you want to take.  Employers sometimes look for the RHIT or CMT credential for management personnel.  If you aren't one of those, then proof of study in the management field may be of help to you.

I find that I generally like to read/discuss management techniques more than I like doing them, but it's getting harder and harder to do the production thing.  Maybe I'm ready to try management again.  I think I've learned not to make the same mistakes I made before.  It's thinking about making the new ones that's holding me back!  Best of luck in whichever path you take.

Would you complain to management if you received a VERY snotty reprimand from a QA person who corrected your report with an absolutely incorrect "correction" or would you just ignore it?  I don't want to cause trouble, but I'm very irritated - I'm wondering if management would even care that they have snotty-ass QA people?