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


Dear MTSO: A quality improvement program does not - consist of screams and threats.


Posted: Jan 01, 2015

This is what some MTSO's believe quality improvement consists of:

"IF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU DOESN'T STRAIGHTEN UP AND STOP MAKING MISTAKES.....(here, insert the Teacher's Voice from Charlie Brown cartoons) - WAH WAH WAH WAAAAAH WAHWAHWAH WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Oh, yeah - and WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, too.

Or this:

"YOU IDIOTS!  DON'T YOU KNOW THAT WE GET PENALIZED $EVENTY BAJILLION$ OF DOLLAR$ EVERY TIME ONE OF YOU PUTS THE PERIOD OUTSIDE THE QUOTES INSTEAD OF INSIDE THEM???!  HUUUH?  HUUUH?  HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!  AND THAT MEANS LESS MONEY FOR THOSE RAISES THAT WE NEVER GIVE YOU!"

Or:

"HELL YES WE KNOW THAT NONE OF OUR DICTATORS COULD ORDER A PIZZA IN ENGLISH MUCH LESS TRY TO COBBLE TOGETHER AN OPERATIVE REPORT BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE PAYING YOU THE BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG MONEY, ISN'T IT?  HUH?  HUH?  HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?"

Quality improvement, by which I mean REAL, EFFECTIVE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, requires careful, detailed analysis that clearly identifies problems (not what we THINK are the problems) AND THEIR ROOT CAUSES, AND THEN ADDRESSES THOSE CAUSES, specifically and with scalpel-like precision.  

Quality improvement does NOT consist of screaming at people - EVER - and those of you who have been screaming at your folks to try to (a) increase production or (b) decrease errors - or more likely, both simultaneously - know EXACTLY who you are.

You have a problem, but your first and biggest problem is very likely that (a) either you don't have a clue about quality improvement methods in the first place, (b) or you do know what QI requires and you're just too lazy to do the work involved - screaming is so much EASIER, isn't it?!

Oh, yeah - and this:  Be a better employer and you'll have better employees.  For most of you, quality improvement should begin with your compensation package, move to your hiring practices next, then to your supervisory oversight, and then - ONLY THEN - to your transcription team.  The problems really don't start with them.

What's that?  Using upper case on the Interweb is seen as screaming?  Gee, I do hope so.

 

Seems to be the trend - sm - MT2long

[ In Reply To ..]
with these "dot.com" companies. Since everything is done online and our boss does not sit in a cubicle across the room from us like "back in the day" they can say anything and everything in an E-mail that they would never say to our face because they can. It is sad that courtesy and respect no longer exists.

Yes, but it's not just disrespect. It's the stupidity and - futility of such practices too.

[ In Reply To ..]
I say "stupidity" because it's sheer ignorance AND LAZINESS to broadcast such comments team-wide or company-wide, including people who aren't part of the problem. It destroys morale among people (in many cases, the majority of them) who are doing their jobs properly. You can't expect people to say, "Well, I'm sure she didn't mean me, so I'll just ignore this diatribe. Tra-la!"

I say "futility" because it doesn't identify the REASONS BEHIND THE PROBLEM, the CAUSES, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT RARELY IF EVER PRODUCES THE DESIRED RESULT.

Unfortunately, this is one of those industries where many people who have started and now operate companies are completely ignorant with respect to effective management practices. They don't know how to sell services properly, they don't know how to manage clients (yes, manage clients), they don't know how to assess job candidates - they're just hopeless.

Blaming everyone is what I refer to as...SM - Old Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
group flagellation. It is a lazy way to manage. I often wondered why management doesn't deal with just the offenders. I find it insulting to be included in something I have no part in. You're certainly right that it is pure folly and also an ignorant way to manage.

MTSO's rarely think of applying QA/QC/QI to any process - other than transcription.

[ In Reply To ..]
...and few of them can even properly characterize the fundamental nature of medical transcription. If they ever did, they'd have to look more closely at their compensation practices, and they'd have to ask themselves some tough questions about the reasons behind the exodus of experienced people from this field.

Looking at the equipment used.. - StillAnMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Standing back and looking at the whole picture, if this stuff was truly that important, there would be more attention paid to using quality software, especially quality voice equipment, and training doctors on best dictation practices AWA other stuff..


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