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Why don't MTSOs and hospitals get together and have BOS specifics for all accounts? - IAMT

Posted: Nov 07, 2009

Have been pondering this a lot lately. Why would the hospitals and MTSOs not want to all have the same specifics so MTs could concentrate on providing an accurate report based on BOS that would then allow all healthcare providers to recognize a standard for their records? I am so tired of switching to a new account or my backup account and having to change gears to comply with different specifics. I have one account now that we are told to literally "might as well throw the BOS out" and do it according to some very bizarre facility specifics. I would think everyone involved (MTSOs, hospitals, clinics and MTs) could get on the same page and create a more consistent medical record. I think MTs could then concentrate on the actual medical content and accuracy of the patient's report and medical record rather than how each facility wants us to type q.h.s. or wonder if we capitalize departments, etc.

specifics - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree. There already are already basic guidelines/templates for reports, SOAP, H&P, etc., out there. These are the same as taught in MT schools. I think we should all just have to follow those and that's that. Too bad if a doctor/facility or even an MTSO wants it done a different way, then they need to change it on their end not ours. This way all transcribed reports are uniform no matter where they are coming from.

The main and most important thing is the accuracy of the information obtained in the reports. It make no difference what the format is. These guys really need to work on the accuracy of information they dictate over everything else.

Same reason that you and I don't like the same things - Simple,

[ In Reply To ..]
That said, you will find that most all specs have things in common - headers bolded or not, caps on headers or not, allergies in bold and capped or not, etc etc etc. If you can think of them in those terms, it makes it easier believe me. Also, if you have more than account for the same company, do a graph to show these with the name of the acct at top and columns. Hope that helps.

Well, you must work on very different account specs than I do. - IAMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I wasn't talking about standard format like headers or such. For example, I have one account with specifics for things like 2 to 4, cranial nerves II-XII, q.h.s., 11/06/2009, etc, but another that uses 2-4, cranial nerves 2 through 12, at bedtime, November 11, 2009, etc. One account I had was 25 milligrams, another 25mg, and used to a 25 mg. None of this changes the context of a sentence. See what I mean?

I totally agree with you. - MT17

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I so totally agree with you. It is a bunch of bull. I work on an account that is so hard, not just from major ESLs, but the account specifics.......are 65 pages long!! And no, the hospital is not that huge - it is all "exceptions this" and exceptions that" and BOS second edition this, but BOS third edition that. I have worked on this account for over 6 months and can barely meet the PT line count.....go figure?...

That would never work because it's too logical! - Old and Tired MT

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Besides, how would the QA people be able to pick your report apart because you put a comma in the "wrong" place? All the MTSOs are so concerned about all the picky little stuff that sometimes I think they do it deliberately to slow the MTs down so they can't make anything above minimum wage. After all, MTs are paid SO MUCH--that's the excuse for sending everything to India, isn't it?

Cesspool magic keeps our wages down - too many accounts

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I don't work at the Q but my MTSO gets more like them every day. I'm already juggling 5 accounts and they want me to add 2 more. Every one with their own picky rules - example, not a single one wants their impressions done like anybody else! What keeps my wages down is they overhire in general, take on many tiny little acounts, then make the entire staff master them all - its utterly counterproductive for everyone! They need to reassign the work - let people concentrate on only one or two accounts apiece so we can become really good on those accounts, intead of scattering our energy over too many small accounts and keeping us in a state of confusion and chaos!

BOS is just a matter of opinion. One acct I do hates their numerical - rules, for example, and have a right to THEIR opin

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

ding dong dell, BOS in the well - Snow Bunny

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Which is precisely where it belongs. It's a guidelines, a book of suggestions and recommendations. In my 30+ years in the industry, I have never worked for a single hospital, clinic, service, or doctor who said I should use the book. In fact, some never heard of it.

And when you get right down to it, there's absolutely no difference between q.h.s. and QHS, and anyone who can't tell the difference should not be in the business. I adapt myself to what the client wants. If you want me to write "2 weeks" and another client wants me to write "two weeks," I'm going to do whatever the person who signs my paycheck asks me to do.

Hey Snow Bunny, - IAMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Well, perhaps you missed my point. I am not saying BOS is the standard we should use necessarily, I think we could just use a standard. Yup, I can tell the difference between q.h.s. and QHS ??? so what's your point, I know they mean the same thing, used to teach this at junior college level to MTs. My point is why ask MTs to remember all this and that for specifics and let us concentrate on the accuracy and important information and complete an accurate report, do the research we spend time doing, and not spend time with our noses in specifics when we cover 5 or 6 accounts - jumping back and forth between accounts just to please the people who sign our checks???

now that I understand your point - Snow Bunny

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm still throwing the BOS down the deep dark well.

Issuing a few specific guidelines is fine. An example would be the forbidden abbreviations, because of the ability to be mistaken for something else. That I'll go along with. But getting your knickers in a twist 'cause "brand names MUST be capitalized and generic names MUST be lower case," because that is the law, so sayeth the BOS ... to quote John Stossel, "Give me a break!"

And as far as concentrating on the accuracy and important information to complete an accurate report ... that's not your problem and you should not take ownership of it. (are those jaws I hear dropping?)

What I'm actually hearing from you is that YOU don't want to jump back and forth between accounts just to please the people who sign YOUR check. I'm perfectly content to please each client as they so desire. I'm doing that right now for three different clients. It's second nature to me.

If you have an abbreviation expander, then chances are you have thousands of abbreviations, possibly per specialty. If you (or your fingers) can remember them, then you certainly should have no difficulty remembering little differences between clients.

Yup, that WAS my jaw dropping. - IAMT

[ In Reply To ..]
This is not the point I started this conversation with at all but I must comment on your statement that an MT does not have to take ownership of the accuracy of the report she/he is transcribing or editing and that just boggles the mind. Are you serious? I didn't say it was my problem, it is my job. We have a responsibility in this profession to complete each and every report with accuracy.

I have no problem at all capping a brand name drug and not a generic and I don't get "my knickers in a twist" on that issue and it makes perfect sense to me.

You are NOT actually hearing me say that I don't like changing accounts.

problem ownership - Snow Bunny

[ In Reply To ..]
and doing things correctly versus accurately. There is a difference.

If a doctor says a patient's sodium level is 179, yeah, I'm gonna flag that one. BUT, if I've got a dictator that is extremely fast or dictating around construction work, then I'm going to tell you right up front, "I can't do this dictation/dictator, and here are the reasons why." I know my limitations. If you, the service, DEMAND that I do the dictation, okay, I'll do it, but I'm telling you up front that I'm not guaranteeing accuracy. That's the difference.

Years ago, I would have agreed with you, but as the demands of the industry increased and the rate of pay decreased, I became to think differently. It didn't happen overnight. You get what you pay for.

Quality, turnaround, and price ... pick two!

I do agree with you on these points. - IAMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I really don't think dictators should be able to dictate remotely. A clue they are grying to dictate while in their car is when you hear the crossing bell, the whistle blow and the train going by throughout the dictation;-) ARGGH.

and let's not forget - Snow Bunny

[ In Reply To ..]
Those dictators with those loud and deep sniffs. You know what I'm talking about. The sound of it makes you gag.

Ding dong dell, the BOS can go to **** - RickyD

[ In Reply To ..]
Snow Bunny, you sound like one of few people in the MT world who have good sense. IMHO, the BOS was put together by the Queen Bees of AAMT and is really not very useful at that, other than for the ego-stroking purposes of the organization that peddles it. (For the money it costs, it is organized in a very amateurish fashion.) Like you, I will give the clients what they want. I hope that one day the folks at the organization formerly known as AAMT will remove themselves from their self-created pedestal.

OMG!!! - Snow Bunny

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There's someone else out there who thinks about the AAMT the same way I do.

Refreshing!

AAMT are the ones who first floated the 65 character line - mte

[ In Reply To ..]
And cut our pay by 1/3 because all the money paying people jumped on it. That was in 1993. The backed off of it later when they could see it was actually an antitrust violation and they didn't want to go there. But too late, the genie was already out of the bottle and now we work for peanuts. The reason we used to go by gross line is because of how long it took to set up the report with demographics, etc. Now we do that for free.

Count me in, too - Old and Tired MT

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I hate the BOS, too. it was made up by a bunch of old biddies who declared themselves to be the know-it-alls of MT and found it was a great way to make money by changing the rules any time they felt like it. I have asked before--who died and left them in charge? What makes me sick is that the MTSOs see it as gospel.

Wouldnt doubt if MTSOs get come kinda kickback - from AAMT/AHDI for pushing the BOS.

[ In Reply To ..]
It's the biggest crock of s____ I've ever read. I never, never, EVER use it. I type what the client wants.

I think the biddies should be forced to leave the US, and move to India where they sent so many of our jobs. The formerly comfortable standard of living of MTs has been ruined; the biddies should have theirs lowered about 10 notches, as well.

I think most people have caught on to the scam. - Their BOS is just the tip of the iceberg. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

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