A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Low work and lack of communication from above - wondering
Posted: May 13, 2011
As an MT who has recently had a pay cut (or "new pay structure") and has consequently upped my game in terms of trying to get more lph, now I find there just seems to be not enough work to even get the 8 hours a day in. As per usual, when this happens I check on here and many other MTs have the same situation, are even more bitter when they see their company is hiring, etc. I am just wondering why we never seem to be offered any explanation from the higherups, or even a guess as to why this is. In fact communication of any kind seems to be negligible, as opposed to when work is flush and we are urged to work within our schedule and on occasion extra. Yet now we are given no guidelines or advice on what to do when there is zero work, it seems they would rather we just suffer in silence and check for work all waking hours, and ultimately I guess either time off without pay or if you have any leave time you have to use it due to this. The no work used to be cyclical somewhat, now it just seems that perhaps the economy is so bad nobody is getting operations, treatment, or something?... I have to think the MTSOs know more than we can guess, yet no explanation is offered and it leads to paranoia and desperation. Anybody out there know - should we be worried?
getting more work - memere
[ In Reply To ..]It really depends on the company you work for. Some companies like the Q have personnel who work overnight and eves that can be contacted directly if you run out of work. Your first line of communication should be to your immediate supervisor, asking them whom you can contact during your shift when you run out of work. Maybe they can modify your workpools so that you can have a stead flow of work. If they're hiring elsewhere, they obviously need more hands on some accounts, and ask that you be able to access some. of course, that may mean bouncing around from account to account, but if they put some kind of backup in place, at least you'd have access to some work.
dont go bragging about the Q - sm
[ In Reply To ..]The Q overhires to get UP TO THE MINUTE turn around times. The supervisors are given bonuses for 100% turnaround. Other companies are following in these footsteps because this is what the client now wants. They cut our pay, overhire and all of their accounts are at 100%. As far as the bouncing from account to account... I have to do every one of the 18 hospitals in my supervisors work pool daily, just bounce from hospital to hospital... then when those are at 100%, I go out of my region and start on more. It is IMPOSSIBLE to make any money this way because of the client profiels. Each client wants something different, in fact, many of the doctors for each client have a list of things they want differently from the hospital. It is absolutely crazy and NO ONE should have to work like this.
You want to know why your company has no work? Blame the Q. You want to know why your pay is so low? Blame the Q. You want to know why more and more work is going to India? Blame the Q.
Agreed! RIDICULOUS account specs - Veteran
[ In Reply To ..]Pages and pages of account specs are just ludicrous, especially on large accounts. There is too much butt-kissing on the part of these services. They should be using standardized headings, etc. because whether the report says "HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS" or "HISTORY OF THE PRESENTING ILLNESS" has absolutely ZERO effect on patient care.
ridiculous specs - nina
[ In Reply To ..]AMEN!!! I'm so glad someone else feels like I do. One portion of the accounts we do (this is for a hospital, not a service) is doctor's office transcription. We have over 50 offices with numerous physicians in each office. And the instructions have different specs for each and every one of the docs, even if they are in the same office, they have different formatting for letters and/or office notes. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!! And the person who promises that they can have whatever they want has never been a transcriptionist, has never typed 1 report. The frustration is EVERYWHERE!!!
memere - Maybe you should read the Q board. - for the sake of who you trying to kid
[ In Reply To ..].
we should - .
[ In Reply To ..]Unfortunately, in the non-on-site scenario of the MT, companies can secure their bottom line in pleasing the client (TAT) at the expense of the MT.
They are pretty much in control now. Unless you work for a company that actually has the MTs' interest in mind, even remotely, it's a pretty scary future for us.
With the insurance situation and with social programs being cut from local governments, fewer people are being admitted to the hospital. I'm not going to name any specific state, but with recent changes, there has been an impact on the hospital's census for whom I work, and obviously dictation/transcription is also down.
I wish everyone had insurance. We'd be wallowing in work!!!
Ins. holders are down because of JOB LOSSES - Watcher
[ In Reply To ..]Between people losing their jobs (and accompanying insurance benefits), the policies getting more and more sparse as to what they cover as time marches on, and more and more employers not even offering insurance, we are taking a big hit. It's the JOBS!! And look at our 9% unmployment rate... Until -- or, more accurately, unless -- the jobs come back to the U.S. it will only get WORSE.
agree - .
[ In Reply To ..]Job loss is definitely a reason for fewer people insured. Cutting social programs does result in job loss.
Lots needs to be fixed, a layered and complicated problem, but seems like the entired medical industry would benefit from insurance reform and making it possible for everyone to afford insurance, not to mention ethically it would be nice for not only those with jobs to be able to be healthy and live.
I didn't mean to omit job loss. I just meant to make the point that the reason MT is in this state is because fewer people are able to seek medical attention, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better any time soon.
I also recently took pay cut and now have no work - Tough Old Typist
[ In Reply To ..]I took just took a significant pay cut at a certain MTSO, and I took went at it tooth and nail to up my lines to make up the loss. First week, wow! I hit it out of the park...almost. With a little work I can do this, the next week, 4 hours into shift --OUT-OF-WORK. Now, I am getting only scraps and dinky little reports with no lines..I won't even make the newly upped minimum at this rate. What to do!
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