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

Future of Transcription - An Observation - VTMT

Posted: Jan 29, 2012

It is my opinion that transcription, whether it be standard or voice, will be replaced altogether in the very near future. There may be some little independent offices or hospitals that continue, but not for long. I say this for 2 reasons. One is that the hospital I worked for locally started withe EHR about 5 years ago and the introduction of VR about 3 years ago with the push for the doctors to do their own "point & click" type of transcription. The software made a medical record based on what they entered while still in the room with the patient. The hospital laid off half of it's 90+ MTs and is in the process of laying off about half of the 40+ still left. This is a huge hospital with many satellite clinics and smaller hospitals under them. Secondly, I took a course in implementing the electronic medical record and in this it speaks of the goal of the EHR to totally eliminate the transcriptionist and the coders. I didn't think, 10 years ago or even 8 years ago that I would see the demise of the transcriptionists with voice for years and years, but it has come a long way and so I can assume it will only improve. I'm sure the positions for MTs will morph into something other than editors, but not everyone will be able to morph into those positions. If people can get by with such a limited income, especially if they are stay-at-home moms or to supplement your income, then ride it to the end. I was thankful that in this economy I had any kind of income, and thankful for the transcription income, but I was lucky to find a job at a nearby hospital and hopefully can say good-bye forever to the transcription world. The rate of pay in transcription per line is the same as when I first got into this field 10 years ago and they want a lot more lines for that same pay. It doesn't get much better regardless of which company you work for. Most companies are lousy, but with different degrees of lousy. We all have different experiences working for the exact same company, but in the end, the pay sucks, the incentives suck (if there are any), lousy benefits with limited time off. They push for more and more, and we all know that more and more means more mistakes on your part and out goes the quality, which in turn affects your paycheck. Any seasoned MT knows the game, but for any of you newbies out there, I would seriously encourage you to find another career if you are able to because transcription is a dead-end job.

Brava! I want to add only one word-- - PARAGRAPHS!

[ In Reply To ..]
I enjoyed your post immensely but it is hard to follow without breaks in the text.

sick and tired - dopey

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Amen, so true. It is now a cut throat business and belongs to the corporate world.

Dead-End Job - JW

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I have to agree with this. I worked for THAT company you speak of. After working for three orthopedists for 24 years, I lost my job and the only thing I could do was go to a company which from day one was miserable because I took a huge pay cut, more than half. I worked for them for three years. After four months of trying to get their 1000-line requirement, I wrecked by left wrist which I am told will never heal up. Last October I quit that job for a local MT job which I was #4 on the list to get work. Since the week of Thanksgiving, the work has dwindled and now mostly due to doctors taking vacations. I need a part-time job at least doing something. I am depressed beyond belief with this. I have decided to take any kind of job I can get and just keep looking at this point. I am 66 years old and have a small amount of savings which I am already using including SS. I knew transcription was a dead-end job long before I worked for THAT company but stayed in it because I could support myself. Was that wrong, I don't know. I did take two semesters of coding and did not feel proficient enough in it to continue. For some it comes easier but for me, it did not. So what's left?

Actually, I am glad that so many of you are leaving. sm - HappyMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Many, many of us love what we do and still make good money, as evident by the many people who posted with W2s over $40,000-$50,000 from 2011. I personally made close to $60,000 and am glad to see the bottom of the heap leave. The quality I see from other reports is horrible. Simple grammar rules are ignored, and spellcheck is not always used. I transcribe and do QA, and I am happy to see the bad transcriptionists go away. This job is not for everyone, and for a while, because there was a shortage of MTs, the standards were lowered.

If you are a good transcriptionist, you will find work. Just like any job, you need to find the right one and have the right attitude. Those of you with the poor-me or combative attitudes will continue to get the jobs that no one else will take until there are no jobs available for you.

The strong will survive, and we do.

I'm glad to Happy MT - JW

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At this point, Happy, I will take a job no one else will take just to see if I am a good fit. I am a good MT and really care about what I put out. I never made the kind of money you do but would be happy with half of it just to have a decent job where my skills are not exploited. I need a job today doing something whether it is MTing or not. I have experienced a bad situation with a company and I am being realistic not negative.

I'm glad to Happy MT - JW - VTMT

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She doesn't even make the kind of money she posted...living in la-la land.

dull life for her - JW

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or she works 24/7 and you know the old cliche, "all work and no play makes Jack or Jackie in this case a pretty dull boy or girl whatever. LOL!!!!

WTG - Another Happy MT

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Talking with the operations manager for one of the companies I contract with the other day and he said what's happening is the "wish I wuz" MTs are being weeded out. Like you, I'm always able to find work (I'm an IC). I know a few good MTs are being lost, but I have to wonder about there resourcefulness if they can't find work.

Your Assumptions are Questionable - Briana

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1. If you're leaving the field, you must be the dregs.

FAIL

The fact is, we've lost some of our brightest and best, and I can name a number of them.

2. When there was a shortage of MTs, standards were lowered.

FAIL

There has, in recent years, been a more noticeable effort to get new people involved in the field, and that in my view is both a good and a necessary thing. That doesn't mean, however, that standards have been lowered. In my experience, everyone is judged by the same standard. At the same time, the BOS has gone through several iterations and each time it gets bigger, not smaller.

3. All you need is the right job and the right attitude.

FAIL

A number of factors having nothing whatsoever to do with anyone's attitude have diminished the relative number of "right jobs" available.

And may I say, incidentally, that I am posting this on a board where many of the members refuse to post information about those "right jobs" (or, rather, the "right companies") and yet very quickly name the bad ones.

Perhaps, for instance, you'll tell us who you work for? After all, we just need the right job, right?

No question about it - - sbmt

[ In Reply To ..]
MT is a sinking ship. Of course there will be a handful of MTs still doing well for a few years, but when the majority of people posting have taken such drastic pay cuts over the past several years, it is pretty obvious that things are not looking good for the future of MT.

I went from making $25-$30/hour 3 years ago to $15/hour 2 years ago, and now I make a whopping $11/hour most days. I don't think that is a coincidence. Most people earn more the longer they are in a field, not less.

For the people still making a good living in this field, great, but there is no question that things are going downhill.

I'll wave as I pass by.... - Happier Almost ExMT

[ In Reply To ..]
HappyMT - should have called yourself Arrogant MT. Remember the adage - the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Stick with your 60K if you want...Not all of us that are leaving are the dregs of MT world, either. 60K will be the starting salary for my new career.

Happier almost MT - JW

[ In Reply To ..]
Happier almost MT, I hope to join you soon myself. I'm keeping all my options open. I think it's wise not to put all your eggs in one basket. There are certainly better things out there for those of us to take pride in our work and want to be paid for it and not exploited.

Alright, I admit it. I'm the MT below who made - just under 60K

[ In Reply To ..]
This job is about to go bye-bye, never again to be replicated. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. So I, too, am going back to school.

May I join you, sbmt, in your car as you zoom by and wave?

Alright - if you live close enough we can carpool! - Happier Almost ExMT

[ In Reply To ..]
We can wave together. : )

Many of the "strong" MTs have already been starved out. - Dont worry, your turn will eventually come, too.

[ In Reply To ..]
XX

HappyMT - VTMT

[ In Reply To ..]

It always amazes me how vicious some of you people can be. I was reflecting on what I see is happening to this field and you have to be nasty. I wasn't attacking anyone, so why the name calling? Yes, this job will morph into something else, and I believe I stated that, but it's not a viable career and anyone new coming into this field should think twice.

I don't know what planet that you live on where you make $60,000, but if you do...good for you! Most of the MTs are lucky to get $20,000. I am an excellent MT and when I gave notice to take a local job I was told "my shoes would be hard to fill and the door would always be open to come back." I am certailnly NOT the dregs of transcription, but someone who wants more than the crumbs that these companies are offering. I have never had a problem finding MT work...it's finding the work to GET OUT of transcription that has been hard with the economy.

You have the right to disagree with me and say how wonderfully happy you are and you make wonderful money and kudos to you...but I don't understand the mentality of someone who responds in your manner calling me and those that want to get out of this field because of the writing on the wall and poor pay names. You are a pretty small and petty person I think and any of the others who responded in like manner.

I am sure a lot of you have wonderful jobs, but it is the exception and not the rule, so don't crap on those that haven't found that in their experience. I used to work with some transcriptionists who thought they were marvelous too...spouting off how many lines they got, but when you knew that they were getting all templated work or the same doctors day in and day out who said exactly the same thing so they could macro their own templates and weren't truely transcribing at all, but inserting templates, that was a whole different story. There is no way that you or anyone else make $60 or $40 thousand a year without working in templates or are paid a high hourly rate and not by the line. You are not making that kind of money at 4 cents a line.

Thank you very much - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
that's all I can say. Thank you for telling the truth.

Must work 24/7 for 60k - JW

[ In Reply To ..]
One question, just how many hours a day do you work to make that 60k? I'll bet it's more than eight hours a day and five days a week. You must be a real junky on MTing to make that. No problem, whatever keeps your boat floating is good for you. I need other things in my life and some personal time for myself and others and not a MTSO to stay afloat.

Alright, I admit it. I'm the MT who made - almost $60K

[ In Reply To ..]
I am paid hourly. I work at a hospital. I agree that there is no way anybody could make this sort of money at .04 cpl.

I see the handwriting on the wall and am back in school. I suggest you do the same. Please do not look at my pay and say "A-ha! See, MT is a great field." It's quite the opposite. I'm only very lucky.

For those here who are snooty about their $55K: Your time, too, will come. Just as it already has for many an excellent MT (including my mentor) who were making a killing back in the heyday. I hope you have the foresight to begin training in another field before then.

Never said I make 4 cpl. I make 9.5cpl and do 1500+ lines per day. sm - HappyMT

[ In Reply To ..]
The jobs are out there. I am not even the highest producer on my account, and I know others in the company that do more than I do.

I just wanted to be the voice for the 99% of transcriptionists who don't post here. There are 100,000 of us working in the field in the U.S. and only a few dozen post here. It has been reported that only 30% of hospital and facility jobs are outsourced. That leaves 70% of transcriptionists working in house. The numbers speak for themselves.

Very well put. :) nm - mtlt

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Visiting MTStars boards for last 11 years... - sm

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and seen hundreds of similar posts over the years. In my opinion, MT is not going anywhere, yes the job description would be different but they need us in any case.

7 years back MTs were losing jobs, doctors shifting to EMRs and same fears about the career.

http://www.mtstars.com/m-What-will-happen-to-us-when-Electronic-Medical-Redords-become-the-norm--7184.html

http://www.mtstars.com/m-Electronic-Medical-Records-What-do-you-think-SM-2372.html

http://www.mtstars.com/m-EMR-75628.html

Visiting MTStars boards for last 11 years... - sm - VTMT

[ In Reply To ..]

As I stated...some of the MT jobs will morph into other things...but to what??? I mean seriously...they are working diligently to take the MT totally out of the picture...and they will eventually and faster than you think and the owners of these companies are greedy and don't want to share the wealth. If I want to work for peanuts and have them hammer away at my $/line and up and up the line count, then I would stay in this industry. The money and the stress level just isn't worth it.

thank you again - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
I got up early this morning - WHY - stressing about my MT job - how to get out of it - what else is out there - how will I qualify - will they hire someone my age - what will the pay be like - etc etc etc....so thank you for the reality check, many many many of us are in the same boat, it just doesn't feel that way early in the morning (for me, I work a later shift)

future of transcription - lv

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand everyone's pain. I make less now than I did 15 years ago. When working as an IC I made four times what I do now working for a company. I get frustrated after 23 years of experience to make the same as someone just starting out. But, the one thing this job has done is allow me to spend time with my mother recovering from a hip fracture and my sister when she was going through cancer treatment and still allow me to get a paycheck. I'll just keep plugging along for now but I also believe the time will come when I have to find another career.

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