A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

I Love Coding! - Just Saying

Posted: Mar 17, 2012

The thing I like most about coding is the process that you go through. It's good for my brain. They say that people use their brains stay healthier longer. Coding is interesting, but it isn't too hard. It's definitely not too easy.

I've always loved medical transcription, but I really love coding!

May I ask... - McFeist

[ In Reply To ..]
Are you a working coder or training right now? I am just curious. I think I would like coding too, but it is hard for me to imagine what the work culture is like with having to interact with physicians and how they respond, etc. As an MT, I feel like we are regarded as such peons (at least the at-home segment).

As a working coder ... - Not the OP

[ In Reply To ..]
As a working coder and former MT, I can tell you that the situation is the opposite of what you may experience now. Coders are held in high regard, which is reflected in their salaries. They are appreciated and respected. Coders make it possible for providers to obtain accurate, complete reimbursement, while staying out of trouble. Whether they do the coding or advise on it, they make sure the documentation is adequate and the code are correct.

The level of regard for coders and for coding credentials is apparent in the number of physicians and lawyers who have coding credentials. I am aware of many.

I think you can see this level of regard and the nature of the working relationship for yourself. Visit the website of ZHealth, which specializes in interventional radiology. Look at the publications , training materials, and questions. Do you see anything there to indicate any lack of respect? Notice who Dr. Z is. His seminars and products are for coders and interventional radiologists alike.

Notice also that there is a specialized coding credential in that particular specialty.

Coding is not clerical work. It is not easy. It is extremely necessary and valuable. Coders are respected and the level of respect increases with the difficulty of the specialty.

Thank you (SM) - McFeist

[ In Reply To ..]
That was a very thoughtful and informative response. Thank you. I hope I didn't give the impression that I think coding is clerical work; I do not have that impression at all myself. I was wondering about physicians' impressions, though, and you have answered that question beautifully. Thank you for the ZHealth website. No, I do not see anything there that would indicate any lack of respect at all, quite the opposite.

"...the level of respect increases with the difficulty of the specialty." WOW! I can almost not imagine that coming from the MT perspective, where the higher level of difficulty actually pays less due to the nature of our pay setup. Thank you again.

I've done ICD coding, and I like it too. (nm) - MTforNow

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Similar Messages:

Jun 17, 2010

The people on this coding forum are so pleasant and helpful. If someone gets cranky, it only seems to last for a minute and, unlike many other forums, people don't jump in and start battles. Also, people don't seem to get so defensive or take things personally the way they do in other places. There is an enormous amount of helpful information here and we get to see more than one side of everything, without battles. People respect each other's opinions even when they disagree. Thi ...

Nov 01, 2012

Have to say, I love Mmodal. My CCM is caring and considerate and kind. Also, love the pay and hardly ever running out of work but when we do, that is a nice break for me. I just put the pedal to the metal and don't take anything posted here to heart cuz, lots of angry people just wanting to take you down. Pass on the love!!! ...

Jun 19, 2010

A new ESL dictating a DS. Can't speed him up because he's too "new" (to this country?). He is spelling every other word!!!!!! AND then spells it again - extubated, e-x-t-u-b-a-t-e-d, extubated e for elephant, x for crosses, t for tom, u for umbrella, b for .......... get the picture (sigh)? On top of that, the report is 28 minutes long!!! Should never have gotten out of bed this morning. LOL I do feel bad for him that he doesn't realize he doesn't have to spell every other ...

Aug 13, 2013

Accepted a job, gave 2 weeks notice, and yesterday was my first day. I was to be helping out transcription (1000 jobs behind), and then sitting with billing and training with coding as their coder will be out on maternity leave in December. The office is adding another surgeon, and they are rapidly expanding. So I gave a proper 2 weeks' notice to my former employer (2 hours on the road there and back, low salary - now less than half distance and $3 more an hour) and starte ...

May 11, 2010

Is there really such a thing as an AA degree in coding? Sounds odd to me. Health administration or management, or RHIT I can see, but coding? Is it not better to just become Certified even if you dont have an AA degree? ...

Apr 10, 2012

Wondering if there are any coders out there who can give me an idea of the fate of coding due to the EMR. Are there still coding jobs out there? Would it be wise to attend school for coding at this point or do you think it will be lost to the EMR eventually? I live in a rural area and there are advertisements for registered/accredited coders at medical facilities, but I'm afraid of spending all that time and money on schooling only to not be able to find a job. Any information/insight w ...

Oct 07, 2013

I am thinking about changing from MT to coding. Are there many opportunities to work from home with coding? What would be a good school to attend? Thank you for the help. ...

Feb 26, 2014

My sister is taking an online coding course and complains that there is no real "teaching," that she's basically just doing the work in the work book and entering answers online, then taking an online chapter test. This makes me wonder about the necessity of signing up for an actual course. I would like to learn how to code, but to me, without any actual instruction, what's the purpose of signing up for one of these online courses? ...

Apr 15, 2014

Anyone know if MM has an age restriction on new coding students? ...

May 20, 2014

Thanks for your response. ...

Dec 20, 2009

Hey, I don't actually type that crap, ya know! I have way too much dignity to be associated with that garbage for the pittance they are paying. However, looking at the crap that VR produces that is included in patient records, I realized, hey, why bother proofreading??? Anything I produce with my old-fashioned, stone-age, luddite TRANSCRIPTION looks a heck of a lot better than anything I've seen VR produce. No one will notice any mistakes I might make. The ...

Jan 21, 2010

An email gets sent out around 4 a.m. stating there is a critical backlog and asking everyone to help out. The email shows the backlog, but it's really not that big. Says if you have hours to make up to do it today. This is at 4 a.m., when a lot of us are sleeping. Panic!! I log in for my regularly scheduled shift......and NJA! Thanks a lot MQ. Take work away from people that are scheduled to work just because you get a little panicky at 4 in the morning. ...

Apr 20, 2010

2) Ability to work evening shifts and weekends The rate of pay is 3 cpl for editing and 7 cpl for typing. Hey, we want you to work the shifts no one wants and we'll pay a premium for it! OMIGOD are they for real? ...

Feb 18, 2011

I love to be able to fill in blanks that people can't get and to help them. I wish I could give them detailed explainations so that they can understand the why of the error or resources I used to find it. However, because of the ridiculous pay and having to wade though ILP garbage (sorry, I don't enjoy helping them out), I'm only able to leave brief or even no messages to try to at least make what I did when being an MT. These messages come across as rude, nitpic ...

Mar 24, 2011

requires us to type more lines per hour and yet I'm constantly getting accounts that are not my primary accounts. Thanks for making my life pure he!! MQ! You have continually screwed me out of money every year since I've started here. You keep taking and I keep giving and I've about had enough. I know the 150 lph isn't that bad as I usually do that anyway....but seriously!!!! Is it too much to ask to be supplied with accounts that I am familiar w ...

Jan 17, 2012

Just got a call from MQ confirming that I got my new computer and that everything is up and running. Hello - I've been using it for at least a month. ...

Jul 12, 2012

I love my job!! I have been with this company for 9 months now and I love it! I have work, straight typing, wonderful doctors, wonderful coordinator, just downright wonderful company! Thank you Keystrokes! ...

Aug 15, 2012

- spell a drug name out for you, and they spell it wrong? - mangle a drug name beyond recognition (and a COMMON drug at that! one of my docs cannot say aldactone to SAVE HIS SOUL) - spell out a really simple procedure or term for you (pleural) but then expect you to wing it with spelling some little-known random procedure done once in Ghana 200 years ago on rats whose name is 37 letters long? Feel free to join in!! Seems that today I've been saying an inordi ...

Nov 12, 2012

I would absolutely love working for Nuance but for the fact that the work volumes are never consistent or reliable. I love my hours, my TS is awesome and I love my accounts. The benefits aren't great but I can work with what they offer. I wish they didn't practice over-hiring. ...

Mar 12, 2014

Imagine 8 hours of looking up "J. A. Smith" in phone books to write down his/her phone number. Then searching for the modifier for his second line. More like insurance work or accounting (even without the numbers) than language based work. I love the narrative of the reports I do, not the lab data. If my job were threatened, I would view it as an opportunity to learn to do something I really wanted to do, not just take the next career offered doomed for automation and overseas outsourcing. ...

Apr 30, 2014

if someone from management come to this site to defend this MTSO and its policies. I don't work for MM, but from the posts here, they have significant problems among their staff and at some point will have trouble recruiting new employees. I would be reluctant to work for this MTSO based on this site and ratings in other places. MM, do you have a defense? ...

Feb 04, 2015

No wait. I just woke up and smelled the coffee. It is barely tolerable today. Static on line, fast talkers, dictation cutting in and out. Just your typical day in paradise. ...

Jan 26, 2010

I think I may be an odd ball, but I love VR work. After doing VR, I don't think I will go back to straight text. I don't have any problems making money and I work on a really easy platform, which makes all the difference (Dictaphone ExText). ...

Mar 23, 2010

For the last week and a half, all I have been doing is progress notes for some hospital that isn't even in my BoB. It is worse than watching paint dry, I swear. I'm so bored with these notes that I would rather just beat my head against the wall or pull each hair out one by one. Anything other than making one more keystroke! I want my primary back (I know there is work in it). I want to do my Op notes again! WTH!!!!!!!!! Sorry...had to vent. ...

Mar 27, 2010

...in the middle of an airport runway. At least it sounds like that. It's especially so lovely with ASR, picking up as it does every random conversation in the area. ...

Apr 27, 2010

Earlier this evening I sent a resume to a certain company that I will not name, I check my emails just now and the company tells me that all of the positions are filled when they have straight line production positions available.This company is not on this board. ...

May 11, 2010

Lately I have talked to many friends who are all disillusioned with their careers. The state of the economy has made it worse, but I really think the problems existed before that happened. They come from all walks of life and all occupations. Everyone seems to want out of whatever they are doing. The ones I have spoken to include teachers, attorneys, nurses, doctors, police officers and of course MTs. Anyone out there know someone with a great and (as stable a ...

Aug 16, 2010

So, I got this super long report with HORRIBLE audio. When I got finished it looked like a piece of Swiss cheese it had so many blanks. I didn't even CONSIDER sending it to QA as the audio was just terrible and there was NO way I was sending a report that long...and then get paid 3 cents a line because it might put me over 5% QA submission. So, I just sent it straight through, expecting to get a call from my CCM on why I sent so many blanks, which, of course I was prepared ...

Aug 19, 2010

and right at the LAST MINUTE, ONE job comes in. You type it and then have to sit for another 15 minutes. Rinse, repeat. ...

Nov 11, 2010

if you have laryngitis, DON'T TRY TO DICTATE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to be bald by the time this 557s dictation is done! ...