working in a pool
Posted By: MrsBTFuller on 2006-08-12
In Reply to:
Hello, I have been doing medical transcription for 11 years, most of them as an IC. 2 years ago I changed companies from which I get my work and, for the first time, I am in a pool situation. Here's my question. Is it standard procedure (or normal) when you are working in a pool to not be able to pass on doctors that you cannot do well or just find too frustrating to do? In all the years I have been doing transcription, this is the first time I have not been able to say I can't or do not want to do that doctor. I am expected to do whatever comes up in my pool, regardless of whether or not I do them well, and at the same time keep my accuracy up at 97%, and not send all of the jobs to QA. It is a very frustrating situation and honestly, for the first time in 11 years, has me thinking about quitting altogether. MrsBTFuller
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working in a pool
Not that it helps any, but I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. I would love to just have them remove my "bad doctor", but when I bring it up I'm just told that I will get better at him, or they will remove me from that pool. The only thing that is stopping me from just quitting is that I just hate changing companies and all that entails . Not sure what I will do. I really should have asked this question before I started working in this situation.
Need to add, old job I have own accts, new job will be working from pool. nm
:+
If you work from a pool, it's onlyl a matter of returning a dictation to the pool for the poor sucke
,
Pool
We have an above ground pool, but my friends across the street have an in-ground. We live in NY and they paid about $20,000 for their pool. It's fiberglass with cement around it and fenced in (of course). It's a great time to have a pool here with the hot weather we've been having. Have fun.
We must work for the same pool! :) sm
I have a dictator that sounds like an older gentleman from the south and he will always say, "I thank you very much for typing this for me. Have a nice day."
I always say, out loud, "You too sir" because it's so totally unexpected to hear it.
I even have a guy that talks 1000 mph and ends his dictation in a robotic voice in one sentence with no spaces and his last name, like this:
thisisendofdictationthankyoufortypingthisSmith.
I have only worked in 1 pool myself but - sm
when I first started you could send back work. I had 1 doctor I absolutely hated and could not do, so I'd send him back. Then they "updated" at some point and you could not send work back. I ended up having that doctor removed from my pool (I ask mgmt) since he killed my QA. We were only allowed to send in 5% of our work every month (not a day, a month) to QA. So out of the 300+ reports I would do a month I could only send 15 to QA, the other 285 had to have no blanks, or only 1 blank ....we were allowed to send it through with 1 blank. Needless to say this was a difficult thing to do with 80% ESL. I'm sure it can be done if you take 30+ minutes or more for each report to make sure it is perfect, but most of us do not have that luxury....we need to eat, pay rent, mortgage, etc. All I can say is good luck.
We have had our pool for 2 summers. sm
The first pool we got from Academy Sports and it was totally awful. The side walls were not thick enough. It kept busting at the seams. It did not last 10 days. So, needless to say, we took it back. We then got the 18 x 4 at Walmart and it has been great with no problem whatsoever. Do not use more than 1 waterhose to fill it up though. If you do that, it will not stand up right. As much as I want a regular hard side pool, this will definitely suffice for a few more years. Happy Swimming!
Inground pool
I don't know if this will help you or not but we live in CA and paid about $35,000 for our pool, although we got great discounts because we did it at the same time as our neighbor, who is in the pool supply business and lined up all the subcontractors. So it's probably more like a $50,000 pool. We love it! It almost always takes longer than the estimated time, so if you do have it done this summer you may not be swimming until next summer. Best of luck to you!
It goes back to the pool nm
xx
I do pool work
I have to get a minimum of 1200 lines in an 8-hour shift, which is more than enough time to hit the minimum. I do acute care and do have a backup account, which I work on infrequently since my primary rarely runs low. I take a 10-minute break every 2 hours just to get up and move around a bit. I hope that answers your question.
Yes, the gene pool stops there.
I'd be in my pool for the 2nd time this year.
Thanks. My work pool has become the detritus that others will
not do. Mostly ESL docs with heavy accents. Over the past few months, I have been relegated the worst of the worst, and, on some occasions, find myself working for about $2 bucks an hour. This morning I've gotten jobs from three days ago that were apparently tossed back, floated around like a turd circling the drain. I send nothing back, I've always transcribed these reports, hoping to get past them to the better dictators. The consequence: This morning I got one after another of these horrific reports until I finally gave up in despair. Sorry for the rant. I'm pissed.
114° here in AZ. Our pool feels like a bathtub. It's HOT!
n
We had one in our pool yesterday. My husband
got it out and killed it. I am trying to identify it on the internet. The only thing I can come close to is a Tiger Rattlesnake. It is a baby, about a 12" or 14" long and has a diamond shaped head. We are in Texas and haven't lived here very long.
My #4 key is a return to pool key. Depends on how you are set up. nm
nm
take my lunch break and take a dip in the pool
Inground pool questions
 Has anyone had an inground pool installed? I am trying to see approximately how much it costs. I live in PA and my husband and I have heard some wide-range prices and I would like to hear from any of you who have installed one. I am mainly seeing which type, i.e., fiberglass, cement, etc and how much it costs.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to help us out 
Not only that, but the poster is putting this man in a pool sm
with every single person who does MT transcription in India. That's kind of like being mad at every single driver on the road when you've lost a loved one to a drunk driver.
I am just sick and tired of the intolerance in this country and the I-am-better-than-you attitude because these people are of a different origin. No wonder there is no world peace. It starts small. If you continue to think small then big problems in our society will never be solved.
schedule for those doing pool work
I mentioned this in my previous post, but thought I would post a new topic since it is specific to pool workers.
Can those of you who do pool work tell me how you schedule your day? Do you aim for XX lines, XX hours, etc.?
Also, do you sit down for a straight XX hours or do batches?
Thanks,
Vicki
I hope your PC falls into the pool...nm
nm
Why doesn't she take the PC into the pool , that might also work...nm
nm
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.
Whatever, then may you all have a good time in your pool of name calling. (nm)
x
anyone else upset with recent changes at DSG and so-called pool changes?
I am definitely upset with the recent changes, and don't trust management when they say it's for the MTs benefit. All I can see from these changes is a HUGE decline in the quality of dictators I am getting, slowing me down big-time, almost like all the decent ones are missing. Does anyone know what's really happening at DSG lately?
chlorine is bleach, only stronger in a pool--sm
some people think that just because it is packaged and used almost on a daily basis, that it is safe. It is a harsh chemical and it is not surprising to me that it would cause hoarseness when swallowed. Just breathing it, for me, causes lung and breathing problems. He may be extra sensitive to it. Don't poo-poo is just because somebody else says "he is fine". It is a chemical...and if you don't believe me, swallow some yourself and see what happens...duh.
our pool feels like a steam bath...nm
Yes, it does take a long time. Usually 2-3 days. We have a pool too and of course I cut around that.
And to the poster who suggested I get the mower fixed. Well, you have to put the mower on the trailer and take it to the place to get it fixed and I just can't do that with the 2 little ones right now! LOL I can do everything else, but I can't work on that trailer! It's huge (14 feet long) and I have to put it on the hitch and that is hard!
Even with all of this, I wouldn't trade any of this for anything.....Nick Hotel here we come......
Yes, Yes! Sue the OWNER of the plastic pool because they did not secure it properly. Now it was a
deadly object due to THEIR negligence! Just think of the $$$.
Please, I transcribe from a lounge chair at the pool during the summer.
That way my daughter gets some time at the pool having fun, I get work done. I do mostly VR, so not a lot of actual transcribing involved, just a word here or comma or period there.
I've worked from the beach in Key West. I've worked from the lake. I take my laptop when visiting family around the holidays. That is the beauty of having an at-home job and a laptop. You can take your work with you anywhere and never miss out on family life! And no I do not sacrifice privacy or accuracy. I'm good at what I do. I'm one of those fortunate MTs that could transcribe in grand central station with trains coming and going and thousands of people milling about. I'm very focused. Once the headphones are in my ears, you have to pretty much send up a flare or smack me upside my head to get my attention and then you will scare the bejeezus outta me when you do.
Don't knock it until you try and just because you can't work in anything but total silence and solitude, doesn't mean that everybody needs total silence and solitude.
Yep, I say a combo suit with the landscapers! And the baby pool owner!!
Keep in mind that Amphion is NOT Medquist. The lottery pool is VERY small.
....if any of this is even true.
If you work from a pool, it's when others are leaving you the crappy reports by skipping over the
s
We have a gunite pool as opposed to vinyl/sand liner..
The gunite is definitely more expensive, but lasts much longer. I'm in NH and I see signs for gunite pools starting at 19,900 around here, but I have no idea what that includes. As usual, the advertisement and the actual cost out the door are probably too different things. Also, expect your electric bill to hit the roof even if you run the filter only 12 hrs out of 24. But it's worth it to us... Our kids are pre-teens and virtually LIVE in that thing, so we don't regret buying this house.
I miss MT50 too. She rocks with her vast pool of knowledge.
MT50, please, please, please...come back. You are missed.
Email your supe to make sure they activated your work pool
I had this happen at another company. The supe had failed to add any accounts to my work pool.
varies: clinic/acute, employee/IC, own accounts/pool.
nm
depends; clinic/acute, IC/employee, pool/own accounts....
nm
To finish...no one obviously feels like typing up, so the night people get the pool garbage. Grrrr.
,,
You get more working the evening or night shifts and working w/o benefits. And producing like a mad
,
Ditto....granted I am not working much these days, but am currently trying out a new way of working
when I do work which seems to be helping. I am timing myself and keeping a log of how long it takes to to type however many minutes. I am averaging anywhere from 13-18 minutes of dictation an hour now doing this. Granted the time fluctuates between who I am typing, and if I have to look up names, addresses, etc., just depends on the division I am doing at the time. But work that used to take me 3 hours to do is now taking me under 2 hours, I am also trying to put in more macros as I go along, which slows me down initially but pays off in the long run of course. I was working "all the time" before but took forever to get done since I was not applying myself. This new "attitude" has helped me a lot. My goal, in the Fall, is to do 90 minutes a day consistently at 6 hours, and then maybe get up to 120 minutes a day at 8 hours, still while having at least half of the day free (do 60 minutes at night, and the other 60 by Noon). Thereby doing 1200-1400 lines a day. I have never really buckled down and done more than 8000 lines per pay period, so it will be a nice change. Maybe you can do something like that and have a specific knock off time as was suggested below.
Working holidays? Out shopping in stores where someone IS working
that holiday you refuse to work? Grocery stores, food joints & seems any store is open on holidays and you expect them to be fully staffed, so why shouldn't we?
Yes, I took off for the first time on Christmas day, in 18 years and it was great, but I worked Christmas eve and this whole past weekend.
Someone has to do it!
working IN A HOSPITAL is different than working at home.
Someone can steal you identity from the internet if they want to. Why would you go to the time and trouble to jeopardize a job that requires some level of skill to steal someone's identity or medical records? You could get a job as a retail clerk and get info easier than going through the testing required to become an MT.
Somehow working at home translates into not really working
My in-laws are the worst. Whenever they plan something last minute and my husband says that I had to work, they say, "but she works at home!". When I one time mentioned I had a "schedule" and basically punch a clock and work full time, I don't think they believed me. They will sometimes call mid-day during the week if they are in the area to see if I want to go for lunch, etc! The best is, my husband doesn't make all that much money, so where is it coming from, the money fairy? I am ready to strangle someone! So I know how you feel and I'm sorry it upset you. You are not alone.
I daydream about NOT working while I'm working.
There are so many other things I need and want to get done. I've been working way too hard lately, and summer is just slipping by again. Well, I'm outty.
I get my work from an FTP site that they load the work to, however I don't have pool work so to
speak, but I tell them how many minutes a day I want. The work is generally put in my box by 5 pm every day, then I have until 10 am the following day for some priority work, or 3:30 pm for the rest, so TAT is not too bad. I would like to work less at night though, but I working on that. My downside is I do not get the same dictators day to day, there are a few I do on a semi-regular basis though, some generate great lines but take longer to do that other doc's and are not "money-makers", I also do not get paid for spaces so that hurts a bit too. This is WP5.1 too.....so very antiquated but that is what the hospital uses, so not much choice there. But I understand what you mean about the C-phone. I was just doing another job with C-phone recently...they incidentally did not tell me how to get off of the system, which was very simple. I'd finish a job, then hit stop and hangup if I wanted to get off or quit working. That is what you need to do if you want to sleep, eat, etc. Don't feel guilty, do what you signed up for, believe me they watch the pools and will get others to do the work you don't finish. If they get on your case remind them that you are only PT and only want 500 lines a day, etc. It's not worth killing yourself over. Good Luck. 
Working. LOL What else? nm
..
working out
Spinning is great if you only want aerobics, but a personal trainer deals with weight training. That's for building muscle, which speeds up your metabolism. You really need both (aerobics and weight training) if you want to slim down and shape up.
In either case, make sure you drink ice water. The body's reaction is, "What the heck is this stuff?! I'm getting cold here. Turn on the shiver mechanism." That's another way to speed up your metabolism.
Working for self
It is harder now to break in than it was 15 to 20 years ago when I started but there is still accounts out there. I got started part-time when working for a local hospital -- not even doing medical transcription. I was an Admin Ass't but had done this in the past and one of our physicians on one of our boards could not get anyone to do his transcription so I started doing it part-time. I had been a CMA, CMT, x-ray tech in the old days. But had not kept up on my certifications when I went to work in the hospital. But this started the ball rolling. Since my hubbie then was a truck driver I did it to keep me out of trouble when he was out of town. Then I started doing it full time. I get accounts from the private docs that no one really wants, larger companies, and still do tapes, printing, delivering and pick ups. I advertise and send out flyers and seem to get a bite when I need a new account. I have 2 Surgical Oncologists, 2 IM's, 1 Plastic/Hand surgeon, and 1 Psych. I have one permanent part-timer and one that helps out with overflow. I charge from 10.5 to 12.5 cents a line depending on the account. My rates are going up this month. I also work in a clinic doing electronic charts but that is as an employee. These docs are small and I keep my prices lower because I know what they get back from insurances, etc. are not that great. I am paid within 3 days of receipt of invoice (usually the next day) have never had my line count questioned, have never had a check bounce and they make me a part of their team. And yes, I am the one from six months ago that said I would bake them cookies and you know why. But all I can say is look through the County AMA directories or phone books or if your hospital has physician offices in them, see who works alone and try sending out flyers or going door to door -- never hurts to bring cookies either. But have been doing it for 15 years fulltime and make enough to support myself through a yucky divorce and pay an attorney $10,000 -- barely but did it. Good luck. Maybe if enough would do this for themselves much cheaper than the nationals we could all go back to making a good living. Am going digital here in the next six months or so, but only to pick up a new account as my docs still prefer the tapes. Trying to get them to change.
You can E-mail me for any more questions.
It will get better--just keep working..nm
nm
why because I tried working for both
I have nothing really bad to say about SS, I have had no lines stolen, I just dont understand what is being dictated I'm sort of new I have about a year's experience but in my opinion this is easier to learn in English before you go to extreme ESL work, I will say that SS gives you back all of your reports so that you can learn your accounts but they almost have to so you know what the people are saying
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