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Is it me or does the dictation quality of the dictators seem worse these days? sm - wondering


Posted: Jul 11, 2012

I've been at this almost 30 years and it seems that today's dictators just do not care.  Yes, there were dictators "back in the day" who mumbled, shuffled papers, dictated at the speed of lightning, etc., but it didn't seem like there were as many of them.  These days, it seems like nobody cares what they're dictating or how they're dictating it.  I've had dictators clearly read over a mistake in a template (expander mistake, wrong word, etc.,), they dictate the wrong word, pause as if they know it's a wrong word, and keep right on going without even mentioning it!  (We, of course, flag it for correction.)  They dictate in their cars on their cell phones going through tunnels and dead zones - and continue to do so even though their dictation is returned with tons of holes because of dropped reception and they've been asked not to do so in order to fill in those holes.  They shuffle papers, they listen to the radio and refuse to turn it down or off even though they've been told that we cannot hear the dictation over the music.  They dictate with kids yelling and dogs barking and refuse to close the door or go to another room.  What has happened?????

Wondering - Runamok

[ In Reply To ..]
I, too, wonder what the heck happened but I think some are spoiled and are doing everything "half-azzed". They are using and abusing technology (cell phones, digital dictation) and thinking it will/should pick up the undetectable! Back in "the day", it seemed we only had a few of them that acted like this and they were the docs who brought in the high volume patients for the hospitals so they got away with more, at least where I worked. I have also done this for 30 years. We even had a doctor throwing charts and screaming that he did the dictation when he was FINALLY told he would no longer have privileges if he did not get his dictation caught up. One of the charts hit one of the employees in medical records. It happens she went to school with his father who was also a physician and she told him she should bend him over her knee and bust his rear. She also told his father about it and he must have said something because Junior called her up and apologized and got his dictation caught up overnight!
About 10 years ago I worked for a prominent hospital in the midwest transcribing at home and if a physician was difficult to understand, dictated on the cell phone, ate while dictating, etc., he got 3 warnings. After that, he had to supply his own transcriptionist for a certain amount of time (cant' remember how long). They didn't put up with anything and let them know that it was all about the patient and getting it done right and that we were just as important in that process as they were. Only place I ever worked where WE were important and they wanted feedback and they paid very well. Very low turnover and they prided themselves on that. I moved across country to care for my ill father. I think they outsource now. I know they don't have the same HIM as they had before.


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