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

Epic close to home... - blondie

Posted: Jan 16, 2012

A HUGE clinic with many different specialties in this area has went to Epic and now have laid off 30 MTs. They said with Epic they didn't need them all. What a shame! I actually use that clinic, and I knew something was up a couple months ago when I went to the doctor. They had a new system and they were typing everything in the computer. When I left they gave me this printout that looked like a medical report. It had my diagnosis, medications, etc. I even asked the nurse if they were going to the point and click EMR, and she said no. Obviously she lied unless she just didn't realize what I was talking about.

Hospitals and clinics will continue to lay off MTs - MT IS DEAD

[ In Reply To ..]
All MTs will be affected by this. MT jobs are eliminated as Epic advances across the MT landscape. Epic recently took our jobs and I have yet to find suitable employment (more than 30 years' acute care experience).

It would be foolish to think this won't happen to you. EMR is mandated and is coming to all healthcare, from hospitals right down to doctor's offices.

I'm a breath away from chucking it all out the window. Thanks for nothing American Healthcare Documentation, or whatever you call yourselves this year.

I work on EMR. Not all EMR are point &click. Many - still need MTs/Eds. Sky isnt falling. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Yes, suppose you are right. Instead of 2500 lines a day, we are down to about 30 lines a day. - So I guess we need those MTs for those 1-line snip

[ In Reply To ..]
It hardly seems like a robust or viable stable employment picture.

Out of curiosity, is this a job with a future that you would recommend someone consider.

Sorry this is your reality but it is not mine. Mine is jobs of - 90+ lines per job, number of jobs SM

[ In Reply To ..]
per day varies, but usually 15-30 jobs. Not all EMR is point and click and all need to know that. And any that do letters, letters arent done on EMR. Job opportunities will gradually lessen to a certain extent, but they will not disappear. And the best MT will win out. And the best is not based on years in the field, it is based on proven skills.

.....And the best is not based on years in the field, it is based on proven skills....." - Have verifiable skills and experience

[ In Reply To ..]
My skills have been proven out by offers from every place I tested (passed all those MT Test.com tests as well as proprietary tests).

While I could get any job I wanted, I see my MT opportunities diminishing by the pressure of a global workforce, mandated EMR, and monopolistic MTSOs that actually slash MT compensation because they are so big that they can do what they want to a meek group without a voice (and fill those spots with cheap off-shore labor).

I don't think the best will win out at all. It's kind of like the fruit left on the vine after a frost. You may find a few choice pieces left, but bountiful production is over.

The best will win out because we will be those "choice pieces left on the vine'. sm - ACMT

[ In Reply To ..]
The ones that will survive this mess will be those of us that have been doing this a long, long time, those that have been doing ACUTE CARE for a long, long time and not just clinic work or one subspecialty. Those MTs that can do it all - all the mush-mouth dictators, all the ESLs from every dialect, every single specialty, subspecialty, and report - those MTs that are FAST and ACCURATE, those that can jump on any and every account and adjust to anything thrown at them . . . these are the transcriptionists that are going to win out in the end. The ceiling may be lowering but the sky is definitely not falling!

my thoughts about the ESLs... - CMTx2

[ In Reply To ..]
See my post below about the other 4 methods clinicians have in Epic to get their reports done.

I have been thinking that many of the ESLs would opt for something/anything besides having to actually dictate.

We have a few who can barely speak English, and they sound more full of fear and dread of having to dictate than the MTs who have to edit it. :)

You can look on it as rotten fruit, your choice. I plan on - getting, and being, a choice peice. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Exactly! Those of us that can do it all will be the choice pieces left and we'll have work. - ACMT

[ In Reply To ..]
x

I am a "choice piece" - and have no work

[ In Reply To ..]
I never had just 1 account. I always kept 2 going just in case and to keep away the NJA syndrome. Unfortunately in my last job, I was so happy with the pay, working conditions and coworkers that I let my secondary go. Guess what, Epic came and now we have nothing. Before that, voice recognition came and we were let go. Before that, off-shore came and we were let go.

I always made the best of these changes, spun things around, and ALWAYS found a way to make an extraordinary income. I don't think I'm going to be so lucky this time.

I have great references, extensive acute care and heavy ESL experience, excellent quarterly QA scores, so multiple offers have come forth, but I hesitate to stay in MT when I know about MT compensation being cut. I don't know how you can make a living on pay cuts, especially with over hiring for accounts and the attendant NJA.

It's a shame. We were an incredibly talented and experienced group. Gone overnight.

Yes, sad story but why dwell on it? Keep looking for next good - fit. Dont give up, keep at it. No excuses. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

I feel you. - CMTx2

[ In Reply To ..]
This has been sticking in my craw ever since my boss (who comes from a coding background) said the following in regard to making the coders come back to work on site/no longer being able to telecommute: "Oh no! They won't put up with it! They'll just find another job elsewhere!"

Meantime, the MT field is chipped, chipped, chipped away from all fronts. Nobody ever comes to our defense in all these meetings the vice presidents have about us. It's insulting.

Is it possible for you to get yourself into a lead or maybe even manager position? I used to think QA would be safe, but now I don't even believe that with Epic's arrival.

Have verifiable skills and experience - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with you. And I think we should all take a moment to remember that AHDI (in its prior incarnation as the AAMT) was the one who (a) supported offshoring and (b) climbed into bed with MedQuist.

So what? WHy remember? Cant change that. Work to find - your niche in the here and now. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

blondie - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Any physician who types on a computer while speaking with me will be fired instantly.

I work on an EHR (electronic health record) account and type - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
whatever has not been put into the computer already. I am typing around 2100-2300 lines a day on the system. There is still quite a bit to be dictated by the physicians. Sometimes I even have the physical exam to type, sometimes it has already been put it, but I still type whatever the physician has left to put into the computer. Some are small jobs and I usually have to do around 55-65 patients to get that 2000 or more lines a day, but I do get it on a consistent basis.

What I've recently learned about Epic... - CMTx2

[ In Reply To ..]
I recently found out that my hospital is going to Epic in 1-1/2 years.

What I've learned -- and what I haven't seen mentioned here thus far -- is that the clinician will have 5 different ways to do his/her report. The methods are: dictate, point and click, type themselves (don't laugh, we've got a few of these), copy and paste, and ?. (The 5th method wasn't mentioned in the meeting. Maybe template?)

My take on all this is that transcription volumes will definitely be reduced--especially when you factor in the fact that the vitals, meds, and allergies will automatically be imported and need not be dictated. The question is by what percentage?

The copy-and-paste option makes me more nervous than I was previously because that sounds like a good chunk of the ops will then go by the wayside. I hadn't anticipated that.

For those hospitals who have let their entire transcription department go after going to Epic, I am wondering if the hospital turned off the dictate option and made the clinician select from one of the other 4 options?

Similar Messages:

Sep 05, 2012

continue to do. ...

Dec 20, 2011

speech or straight transcription. Just wondering about that and DS, Consults, etc. ...

Aug 02, 2012

that also do away with MTs doing OR reports which is about all I really do. ...

Aug 08, 2012

DQS completely and the hospital will drop MQ. Just curious about that. It seems Epic is the way to go and was not sure if that can be interspersed with DQS or eliminate MQ altogether with DQS. ...

May 21, 2014

Dictated: 50 units of hyaluronidase added VSR: 50 units of hobbling around the base added ...

Aug 25, 2014

ASR: Positive flora on ice and hit a pole... how do you get that from a doc saying positive for "uhm" ...

Oct 07, 2011

I have to vent! At the moment, there are no words to express how much I hate this job. i am so sick of listening to foreigners who sound like they have marbles in their mouths and the women sounding like shrill little girls with marbles in their mouths, struggling with all my heart and soul to do a good job, for pennies, knowing if I send to QA for help, my pennies will be taken away. This is insanity! I swear, I've died and gone to hell! ...

Mar 12, 2014

I am this close to quitting right this second. All I have had is foreign doctors. Are there ANY English speaking doctors left??? They expect 99.8% accuracy with this crap???? Are they kidding me??? I've been sitting here almost screaming because I can't understand a thing they're saying. I had one who was chewing gum like a cow!!! Give me a break. If I had a job to fall back on, I would quit right this second. ...

Mar 17, 2014

If I didn't need the gol dang money so bad I'd quit right now! More work added on my plate after you cut my pay...twice! This is beyond what I can handle today. I'm only 45 minutes into my shift and I'm crying already. Let me back up, Saturday I was NJA (as usual) so I (stupidly) emailed my PTO requests in for the year, during my shift, and then I get an email about "productive time" and then had another account added to my pool. And given 30 minutes to learn 68 pages of a ...

Jul 02, 2012

Why don't we ALL post some of this stuff on the Oracle chat board?!! Maybe you'd get some answers. Why??? Because you might be found out by management??? What a bunch of hypocrites! ...

Apr 01, 2014

For M*Modal to spew forth their B.S offer to the MT Dept. at our community hospital. Have some ideas already but could use more suggestions/ideas on ways to get the community involved- to let our patients know exactly where our JOBS and THEIR health records will be going.... any help/ideas??? ...

May 13, 2014

I have been working so hard to still get a decent line count yet not make big errors, yet still am getting them. I pretty much have the numbers down pretty well, i.e. age, vitals, meds and labs, but seem to make errors on something I might have typed once right in the report, but later got it wrong! It just killls me. I need to make more than minimum wage, and I have given up on getting the bonus, but I am still sick to my stomach when I see silly errors I make in FIESA. Just wondering if anyo ...

Feb 07, 2012

not been ONE SINGLE LINE so far in any report that has not needed editing in some fashion. Not ONE SINGLE LINE. Usually multiple things in every line including stupid little words it leaves out, stupid things it adds, repetition by the doctor that it cannot discern, blatant errors of the ASR, punctuation, numbering, and on and on and on --- for 60% of my line rate? If there are folks who have great ASR and can just breeze through with a cursory proofread, more power t ...

Apr 30, 2012

$15/hour. Like the good ole days. I'm moving soon but not to those cities. Hopefully I can find a MT in-house job, otherwise, I'm done. I will not continue to work for these low wages while the companies make billions in revenue. ...

Nov 30, 2012

Before I get jumped on for trying to "stir the pot", I come to this forum quite often. I am a medical transcriptionist and am almost done with my coding course. I will be taking the CPC sometime in January or February. However, upon doing research on obtaining a coding job after graduating, I came across this. Of course the date is 2011, but it's still fairly recent. This is from the AAPC forum board. My heart literally sank when I saw this. O ...

May 15, 2015

Are you freaking serious??? How many MTs are there in this company? What an insult..And no I'm not playing your games, entering your contests, or doing anything but look for another job. ...

Oct 20, 2009

nm ...

May 11, 2012

Plz help me with this sentence regarding the hyphen usage. close to near full thickness rotator cuff tear Thnx in advance for the help, Syd ...

Jan 27, 2010

Any info on the MT home course from At Home Professions? ...

Mar 16, 2011

thanks much! ...

Jan 29, 2010

Please see my post below. I was afraid it would get lost, and really would like to know what kind of threat Epic is to us. I've lost one account to them, and now possibly another. ...

Dec 12, 2011

With the hospitalis going to EMR, they are being forced to by the government is what was explained to me, i.e. Epic. So then my taxes are being used to put me out of business. ...

Jun 06, 2012

Nuance is certainly the reason for my cut in pay to the toon of around $700.00 a month! However, how does everyone feel about EPIC further taking over our jobs by 2014?? ...

Feb 01, 2014

x ...

Feb 04, 2010

Here is an interesting site for information on EPIC and the MT: http://www.healthinformaticsforum.com/forum/topics/2068976:Topic:7668 ...

Sep 10, 2010

Epic - Anybody using Epic transcription? Hospital I work for is switching to Epic. MT's will still transcribe radiology reports. Would like to know what the system is like for transcription. Can you make your own macros? Can you use a word expander. It is complicated? ...

Dec 04, 2011

The hospital I work for changed over the Editscript last year. Changeover went relatively smoothly, and we still had plenty of work to keep all the transcriptionists busy (after we stopped outsourcing the overflow we used to have). Recently, the hospital switched to Epic electronic medical record system, and within a week the transcription workload plumeted to probably 40% of our former workload --not enough to keep our transcription staff busy. It seems the doctors/nurses/etc ...

Dec 20, 2011

Work for a MTSO who had more than we could do, EPIC on board and now are fightly over the few scraps... in a matter of weeks, things can change FAST... Time to dust off the resume.. for what it's worth. ...

Dec 21, 2011

using Epic yet. Gee, doesnt sound promising for us in the near future does it. I work for a surgicenter and so far it is all straight transcription and not VR yet even. There are a tremendous amount of very difficult ESLs on this account. ...

Dec 21, 2011

With so much talk about Epic taking away MT jobs, do you think it will do the same with coding? Maybe not just Epic but technology advances will affect coding down the road, yes or no? So worried I just wasted a year of my life studying coding and it may not be a stable career. ...