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wanted to add it was nice of you to positively reinforce MT efforts on difficult dictations...(nm)

Posted By: MTMT on 2005-07-30
In Reply to: How do these people get hired, if they are so bad. Also... - MTMT

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I am trying to be really nice, just wanted to make sure someone else thought so, too.

I do love these other two docs, it's just that this one is making me nuts. Knowing that the OM has already talked to her about this twice, mentioning to me as well that she is not comfortable with the HIPAA issue, I though might give some more leverage to the OM. I also thought that was less personal than me saying something like "I find this disrespectful to myself as a transcriptionist."


I appreciate the insight. Thanks!


I support your efforts!
I am proud of you for trying to get some local business away from being sent overseas! I don't really have an answer for you because I work for a local doctor and am paid hourly (work at home, though). The doctor likes this because they have a lot of "canned text" that he would not like paying me for over and over.

However, I would say that 8 or 9 cents a line is more than fair. I think you need to point out the ADVANTAGES to him of paying you this, such as keeping the work in this country, great turnaround tme, personalized attention, and whatever else you can think of.

Please let us know how this turns out. In the beginning, I offered to take Friday's work home on a trial basis and do it for free to get started. The doctor was pleased with my work and hired me. We are pulling for you! Hope you don't get a lot of naysayers on here asking you why bother - that is so annoying. We MUST all try to do whatever we can do at this point.
I just saw on MSNBC where relief efforts sm
have finally reached Slidell. From the video, there are boats and jetskis and FEMA is there, too. There is flooding and the homes have been severely damaged. Hope we can hear from her soon.
absolutely positively

We got our 18 YO son a truck, 1991 Ford, but he's making the payments. It helps him learn responsibility and he feels proud that he's buying it on his own.  Your daughter probably does see lots of new cars in the lot at school, cause there are lots of parents who somehow or for some reason feel obligated or just plain guilty, so they buy something to compensate.  Don't be that kind of parent, your daughter will benefit more if you teach her how to take care of herself and be a responsible, productive adult, not a spoiled brat!


Positively scrumptious

Right now all of our efforts are to get her better and on the road to recovery. What may lie ahead
in terms of lawsuits, etc., will be addressed at a later date.  Her getting better is our #1 priority.  I was just amazed at how the process has been handled so far.  It really is a shame.
The result of MTs' efforts to make a living wage are (sm)
And of COURSE we don't want less - we DO want more. That goes without saying. But you see - the type of verbal attack that you and other "Debbie Downers" like you launch every time an MT says, "Wait a minute... maybe there IS something we can do is so typical of the type of thinking that holds not just MTs, but women in general back. I have already checked and made sure my doc's MTSO doesn't offshore. If that changes, my ins. (which is just your average, run-of-the-mill HMO) STILL allows me to go to other providers. If you "don't have many options", have you ever wondered WHY? Could it be that you keep SETTLING for less and less? And could it be that other MTs, when they read the gloom and doom in your post, will think THEY have to settle, too?

As for pulling other endeavors out of other nations, hey - there are quite a few that I think others would LOVE to see pulled out. Such as tech help for just about everything from your PC to your cellphone being sent to places where they can't understand what you're trying to tell them, and vice versa. I have a friend with a Masters degree in software engineering who is working menial jobs right now in order to pay the rent, while he looks for a job in his field that is a full-time, benefitted position, rather than as a part-time IC with no benefits. He says even the part-time jobs are getting hard to find because so many employers are sending EVERYTHING out, including part time.



The old, "Go ahead and try! Why don't you quit MT? Oh, boy - more work for ME!" song and dance may fly for a while, but why sit back and seemingly enjoy watching your profession go extinct, when eventually it WILL affect you, too? Do you really want to sit there all day as an "editor" and stare at work typed by other entities? How boring is that? Where is any ounce of creatitivity? At least when you transcribe, you are producing something of value, and can take pride in it. And at a lousy 3-to-6 cents a line, where is the pride in speech-rec or editing work?




What a positively disrespectful, terrible post...
In my opinion, your attitude is disturbing. Have you read what you have written?

Firstly, you have misplaced your anger. These issues should be taken up with your employer and with the people hiring MTs, if you are so concerned about quality.

Secondly, venting is one thing, but do you know how you 'sound' coming on here like you are better than everyone else.

Thirdly, in defense of many MTs I must say you are under time pressure to pump out reports so you can get your lines, your lines/per hour, your disgusting pay because you are competing with people who make 2 cents a line when you used to make 12 and are now making perhaps 7 on average...

MTs are supposed to be and act as so-called 'professionals' only how many professionals do you really know who are treated like slave labor, and who have to work under the situations above?

Greed and people like you have created this MT you are so "sick" of, and now you want to change it back. Good luck with that. You are getting what you are paying for, and I say you because you are acting as though this is a personal attack on you.

If you are so sick, go to your employer and tell them they need to make some changes.

Next, in defense of MTs, you have the advantage of reading through a report already transcribed, just listening, after an MT probably has gone through and painfully done the best he/she can, but rather than spend any more time on a report, sends it to QA for help.

What kind of MT are you - have you never had that happen where you simply cannot catch what a doctor is saying, so you ask a coworker who comes along and immediately hears it clear as a bell!

Lastly, do you really think you are doing any justice to your job, if you are so disgusted and unhappy with it? Seriously, perhaps you could take a management position, or start a mentor-type program to help these MTs...
Fluctuance IS a real word and positively correct. SM
Fluctuance IS a real word - meaning that when the wound is palpated (touched), there is a wave-like feeling. See my cite of Stedman's MEDICAL DICTIONARY in the previous post for the definition.

Flocculence is listed in the Online Medical dictionary as a variant of flocculation:
The rapid precipitation of large amounts of a solute out of a solvent.

Stedman's MEDICAL dictionary has no definition for "flocculence." The dictionary.com entry of "a fluffy or woolly appearance" has no relation to PALPATION of a wound.

Stedman's definition of "flocculant" is "Resembling tufts of cotton or wool; denoting a fluid, such as the urine, containing numerous shreds or fluffy particles of gray-white or white mucus or other material." This has NOTHING to do with PALPATING a wound!

I guarantee that "fluctuance" is correct.
Positively! When I designed the specs for this pc a few months ago, I made sure it would be...

VISTA READY.


New. Wanted to put in a better card to support a game my 17yo DD wanted to play.
x
Missing dictations
I also get a patient list from the doctors office. I check off which ones I got voice files for, i.e. which ones I typed. I don't keep track of which names or not checked off. How do I know if that patient just didn't show up for the appointment, walked out without being seen, or if the doctor put off dictating. That's administrative work that the doctors' secretaries do at my client's office. If they can't find something they think he dictated and ask me to look for something or check on something I'll do it because it only takes a few minutes but I don't do all the stuff you're doing.

Practice dictations
I am at a hiatus in my transcription career, but I do not want to lose what I know, or lose my speed.  Is there somewhere you can purchase practice dictation tapes, or digital downloads?  I would prefer digital downloads of voice files if there is such a thing.  Just wondering.
missed dictations anyone?
Does anyone have any real experiences to share with the missed dictations? I would like to buy them but I don't want to if my accuracy might decrease with them due to missed dication. although, I think any of my background noise would be louder than any dictator. But I guess on the other end is where the problem lies.
STAT dictations

Re:  Stat dictations.  Does anyone out there charge extra for STAT dictations that come in during the day so that we have to put aside what we are working on and type a STAT letter/document and send in?  This sort of thing can keep one behind in Turn Around Time if it happens on a regular basis.  If anyone charges extra for STAT dictations coming in, what would be a good fee to charge for these besides the line count?


 


Ginny


Downloading dictations (sm)

If you key in alt-ctrl-Z while the first one is loading, it will prevent the other two from downloading from the queue.  When you are ready to submit and do another file, you will need to key in that sequence again to allow the next one to come in.


Assigning the dictations............sm
SO RIGHT:
' The Leads (MTs who assign the work) have to get their lines in, too, and no doubt they're not keeping the ESLs for themselves......'

When I got a lot of crappy dictations in my queue, I complained about this and asked WHO assigns the work, who gets the crap and who gets the good ones.
I was told that it is NOT assigned at ALL, the oldest is picked first out of the pool and so on, and that it is all random and nobody is favored.
Now I read in this post that the Leads (team leads ?) distribute the reports. Who are they? The owners, the supervisors or the QAs?
I had once an argument with a QA about grammar and I was right and she was wrong, and from that moment on I got the crappiest crap of the crap into my queue.


but where do all the CRAPPY VR dictations
come from, then?
I guess, crappy dictators are EVERYWHERE !
Thirty minute dictations -...
that are actually about 5 minutes, once you get past the ummms, and ahhhs, and talking to the nurse behind you, and listening to other people's conversation, and changing your mind 5 times before the completion of a sentence.  Other then that, I can't think of a thing....ahhh, ummm, go back and change....no....under ROS put....
LOL If VR could transcribe his dictations it would be a miracle!
:-)
Where to find some Sample Dictations?

Anyone know where I can find a few sample dictations, like WAV files, on the internet, along with the completed typed reports.  Need to test job applicants.  Happy Holidays!


Supposedly these are sample dictations.
http://www.mtbot.com/links/index.php?PHPSESSID=87548e85937eae92e899386c81c6c8e1&PID=10
You left out blank dictations
The ones with no dictations - I have a feeling doctors probably pay the MTSO by dictated minutes - but how about MTSO paying the Transcriptionist who has to waste their time listening to them, signing them off and sending them to QA multiple times a day?
Noone can send you sample dictations, definitely
a breach of confidentiality. You should have learned this in your course.
Right on, JMO. Also, when I have the ability to choose dictations SM
from a list (which I don't have at my current work, darn), I like to gather up all the dictations I can find for bad dictators and do them together to learn that dictator right up front, instead of struggling over months. I'll also use them to put together a template, which if dictation's really horrible will include a whole pack of phrases he/she has been known to use, a grab bag of possibilities to scan over. May sound like a bother to some, but it's a real serenity-saver.
Things that dry you looney during dictations, for example.

I thought after seeing on television so much could get away from this but just had a dictator say, "drowsy and unable to, you know, respond to questions appropriately."


I thought the you know, you know, you know would not come through on here.


In dictations, I always hear "as well as" when "and" would do. sm
"At this point in time." What does that mean? One says "At this particular point in time." Raises the line count but it is annoying.
Saving dictations on flash drive??
Hi again,  I figured out the settings, and how to recover the files marked done.  Question though on saving the actual dictation.  My files come through email, I was saving in My Wav files and an Archive File; however, the doc tends to send me a lot of duplicates which the Archive obviously does not like. But, also, since I have had a computer crash on me and lost some things, I am thinking of saving my actual dictations on a flash drive and eliminating the Archive file. How long would you suggest I keep them for?  Once typed they go in the Recover folder, how long should I keep those? I found in the help information that we can order foot pedals through Express Scribe and they will be sure that they work with their program, so I ordered one today - figure can't work without a pedal so best have a spare on hand.  Anything I might be missing? Tips or ideas in using the program. 
hosp acute care dictations..please sm
Are hospital dictations difficult to type? I have always typed various specialities for clinics. The company I just started working for lost the account I was hired for. They did offer me a position to type for the hospital dictations. Do you think it will be a rough transition for me? Any advice please! Thanks.
I had one who like to do his dictations with a Donald Duck voice. nm
xxx
Why is it that when I work evening here/there, all reports are 15-min. ESL dictations that no one fe

,,


Legal dictations usually are multiple speakers
But, legal dictations usually have a longer TAT. 
I think doctors in general just don't care about their dictations... sm

I know there are some who are really great and are careful or even just considerate.  But I think for the most part they just think it's a pain to do and want to rush through it and get it done... let the lowly MT deal with whatever garbage comes out the other end.  Maybe I'm a bit bitter, but at this point that's how it feels.


 


Disclaimer: No need to critique spelling, grammar, or punctuation within my posting... this isn't work, it's a message board.


wanted to try it but wanted to make sure
nm
One of my accts is in Baton Rouge and just today getting a few dictations trickling in. nm

:I


How nice is this keyboard? Nice light touch?
I have a regular Microsoft ergonomic one now but I'm thinking I should probably get a replacement and use mine as a backup. 
I learned to put my phones in front of my ears inbetween dictations so I don't get blasted.
s
I was nice today, and people were nice to me.
If you steer away from the nastiness, there are a few nice and encouraging posts in there. 
For me, it 's more difficult after 2 p.m.
doesn't matter what it is. But that's only because I've been doing it since 4:30.
It can be difficult...
to know the right thing to do. So many companies are unfair to their MT's, but is it right to dish it right back to them?

I would say it depends on how they treat you. If they are great to work for then be fair to them. If they are awful to work for then, well, use your best judgment.

If you do lower your rate just be sure that they understand this is your rate for THIS account of mostly macros. If they want you to do an account with straight typing they need to readjust.

Good for you for having high values in an industry that is getting more and more amoral every day :-)
Not difficult for you maybe
But obviously she wouldn't have posted if she didn't have feelings of uncertainty about it. I know when I have had to make a decision about something being right or wrong I find it difficult. You have a clear opinion on this, she didn't. I was just trying to be supportive. I WAS NOT making a blanket statement that it is difficult to treat a bad company badly, or playing the SAME GAME that your company is playing. Geez!!!!
Not only is it the most difficult sm
it is also extremely depressing, or at least it was for me.  I used to work for M. D. Anderson years ago and did a lot of Peds.  Also, the protocols change faster than you can keep up with them so expect to spend a lot of time searching but internet would probably make it easier.  Good luck and I hope you like it...somebody has to do it but not this body anymore.
How difficult is it to set up?sm
Also, what equipment do I need? I have a Linksys wireless broadband router.
Yes but difficult! nm
x
I was LPN 30 yrs ago. It is more difficult now. SM
I would encourage you taking the course, but then try working in a doctor's office, clinic or private duty. Most definitely, not in a hospital.

I remember loving the course, but hating it when I got out into the real world.
So difficult
It is very difficult for me too sometimes. So many tragedies.

It seems life is often so tough. My views and understanding of where and why we came from have been changing over the last few years, and I am having a very rough time trying to make some sense of it.
I don't know if any particular field is more difficult
than the next, if all you do is type one speciality. I think ER and Psych are mentally hard because with ER a lot of the patients die and it is depressing and then psych is depressing because of the severe dysfunction of the patients and/or their families. Oncology can be depressing too cause outcomes are not always great and like the previous poster said frequent new meds.

I used to transcribe for a teaching hospital connected to a medical school and that dictation was very hard, much more technical than your normal hospital, lots more dictators too and a new crop every July.
It's difficult but necessary to be in control
Otherwise you are simply allowing little Hitlers to grow up and become *adults* - your job is not to be their friend, your job is to be their parent.

Why would you allow your kids to have friends that you wouldn't allow in your house if they were your friends?

Why would you allow filthy language, out-of-control behavior, and downright liars even on your property?

Are you afraid of your kids? if so, why?

Good luck
It is so difficult for MTs these days
With voice recognition, hospital cut backs, and companies overseas. I have been doing this 30+ years and have enjoyed it up until now. I can so relate with you. I have been looking at a company SilentType? Any input on them or any others who do not consider you an IC, I don't mind paying my own cable or DSL as I have that for home anyway.
It is difficult, I won't deny that.
I stretch quite often.

I take breaks, too, or I couldn't do it at all.

I won't be doing this more than about 2 years so I can hold out.

I'm not kidding though, I have to work hard and I'm not bouncing around like Tigger at the end of the day. I'm tired and sometimes sore. I can't make this kind of money from the comfort of my home anywhere else though!
Was very difficult to learn and there are
still some things I cannot get the hang of. But, it is the only Expander I am permitted to use so had to bite the bullet after resisting for a few months. Takes about three months go use it effectively. Try using it for a few hours every day. When you get frustrated, close it and type everything out. On short-fuse days, skip it altogether. Over a few months, with this method, you will begin to develop speed and each new problem will be solved one by one so your line count will not get suffer greatly. Using IT requires doing a massive amount of reading initially. But, I have to say, I love it now (and am still learning how to use it six months into using it).