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

Bad dictator, can't hear him, leaving blanks, - crh

Posted: Apr 06, 2010

I agree with the poster below who says they do better without QA hanging over them, leaving the same blanks and just nit picking the rest of the report.... Very infuriating. However, here I am, stuck on a report with a resident who is speaking so low I have the volume all the way up, then he gets loud for a second or 2, just long enough to blast out my ears, and then I can't hear him again. I'm only 3 paragraphs into it (its 668 seconds long) and already have 3 blanks where I can't hear him. I AM NOT sending this to QA. I refuse to be penalized for this type of situation. NOT MY FAULT and with this FTR situation the way it is, this is just wrong. Isn't there a labor board we can report this behavior from management too or something?? This just is not safe for good patient care and certainly not fair to us, the laborers.... What is wrong with these people. And yes, I am looking for a new job (FT) or 2 part-time jobs.. Any suggestions????

Thanks for letting me vent...

FTR - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
make sure to include a QA note stating "poor audio quality"

that's for sure, thanks... - crh

[ In Reply To ..]
yep, gonna definitely cover my butt that way.. Thanks

Suggestion, and Something I'm Seriously Considering - MT Idiot

[ In Reply To ..]
I happen to live 6 blocks North of the White House, YES -- THAT White House. And I've been living in this coop apartment building for about 30 years, so this is definitely my home. I'm most seriously considering writing a letter addressed to Michelle Obama, as a woman, as a worker, as a worker in a situation where I technically-speaking have "a job" but I am making below minimum wage and it's getting worse all the time. Most MTs are women. Many support children. Michelle Obama has a brilliant mind and she "cares" about human beings. I'm gonna do it. There are several women who live in this building who are professional writers and editors, and they are friends of mine. One is a professional journalaist. The other is an editor who worked on Capital Hill for years. Both of them have done much writing and editing on health-care industry issues; in fact, that is the "writer's" primary focus. I can get them to go over what I write and help me hone it.

Somebody needs to speak for us. To try is better than not to try. "Someone" deserves to be "filled in" on what this picture really looks like.

Amen to that - crh

[ In Reply To ..]
I can't think of a better way to start asking for help to stop this nonsense. I hope and pray you are successful in getting heard and that this starts the ball rolling. Let's save our profession and lets keep it at "home" where it belongs. Don't railroad us out of our livelihood. I started in transcription 35+ years ago. I earned my ART (RHIT now), and went on to earn my bachelor's in HIM. I have been in management and run records depts and transc depts. When my co. laid off a bunch of employess while I was on maternity leave, I also got hit. Moved across country and with 2 little kids, went back into transcription so I could be at home and not send them to daycare. Used to be flexible so it worked out great. Was even making in the mid 40s. Now I'm looking for a job and would love to get back into management but I've been out of the records part for so long I'm not sure who would hire me after doing "just" transcription for the past 14+ years. Wish me luck...

tell Congress - planetspinz

[ In Reply To ..]
the day health care reform bill was signed, I went on facebook and told my congressional representatives and senators that health care records would no longer be secure as they will be transcribed in Mumbai India. Maybe if we all tell our members of Congress on Facebook what is going on, which will also inform everyone on Facebook, that will make a difference. I made sure to let them know that everyone's social security numbers will be in a computer in India. I told them that my job is being outsourced, along with every American medical transcriptionist. If we all do that, more people will know that not only are our jobs in jeopardy but so is their right to privacy. It's a start and we won't know if it will work if we don't try it.

All Ideas Are Valuable -- So Post Them - MT Idiot

[ In Reply To ..]
Having a health care system that offers some kind of care to more people in our country should not be irrevocably linked to the compromising of our health care records. We ought to be able to separate and distinguish between these things.

One of the most irksome aspects, in general, of the political system (political systems -- generically) is that they try to use two diametrically opposite positions to fight to the death, and never see the shades of gray in between black and white.

None of these things have to be irrevocably linked to each other. They will be that way if they are systematized in such a fashion.

There are many possible equations that can be worked out --- and many that can be tried. Yet you wind up with the "big man with the bullhorn" yelling:

There's only one possible new equation -- and if we 'go there' it spells DOOM.

If that man with the bullhorn can convince enough people he is right --- then he will succeed in creating the scenario he describes. In most cases, the idea preceds the formulation of action. To get people to build a certain kind of system, you need to convince them to create a blueprint first. If you brainwash them and convince them that there's only one possible kind of blueprint --- then yo've "GOT THEM."

There are many unexplored solutions to most definable problems. Once in a while, somebody who hasn't been coopted into a stereotyped way of thinking comes along and proposes a new blueprint and even puts it into operative form. Then we have something NEW and DIFFERENT.

If I am going to write to Michelle Obama, I am going to tell her what I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN 10 YEARS OF WORKING AS A MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST. And believe me, it's enough to make a thinking person shudder. The question is, can I get her to read a letter that I write --- as a public citizen.
And my guess is, YES, I can get her to read a letter. I can get someone on her staff to read a letter, and if it contains some highly pertinent information -- if it is well written and as succinct as possible --- my guess is that Michelle Obama will eventually read it.

SCARE TACTICS, in fact, TERROR TACTICS -- are used by politicians all the time....i.e., "if we try to make the air we breathe any cleaner -- millions of jobs will be lost." IT DOESN'T STAND.

I Do Wish You Luck --- and To All of Us/Everyone Sailing in "This Leaky Boat" - MT Idiot

[ In Reply To ..]
I do think this is a time when any support we can get from anywhere is helpful. And there's no one who can better support us than our "co-workers." That seems an'odd' word to use -- it's difficult to feel like you are someone's co-worker when the only connection between you is a computer screen. But in fact, we are tied together by much more than the computer screen. We are tied together by our common experience, by the fact that most of us are working women, and by the extremely damaging levels of stress this situation is dumping on us. Many of us are tied together because we have, in fact, a strong work ethic. We are, for the most part, people who ARE, INDEED, VERY CONSCIENTIOUS -- as a group. I know how hard I gave tried to do a good job -- through the more than 10 years --- through ALL the changes, all the insane contradictions (for example responding to different QA giving me completely opposing sets of directives on what is correct and what is WRONG), etc. And I know that a great many MT's (now forced to become ME's) are "cut out of this cloth."

So WE SHOULD SUPPORT EACH OTHER. We really should. It's one thing that can help us. It's an "intangible thing" -- because "feelings are intangible." But the feeling of not being isolated in a bad situation is quite helpful. It will impart a measure of 'comfort' that can be converted into feeling just a little bit better, just a little bit less stressed out, just a little bit like ripping out the last hair on your head!!

They say they want more jobs and less unemployment . . . - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

This is a great idea - MT Bottle

[ In Reply To ..]
I cannot imagine anyone would not support your efforts. If a negative post appears it most certainly has to be a suit. It's a good thing we have this instrument through which we can communicate. However we can help, whatever we can do, let us know.

You are awesome! Go for it! - No3cpl4Me -nm

[ In Reply To ..]
X

pick a date and all do it together - Mukky Mukky

[ In Reply To ..]
I think what you're going to do is great. However, where we all seem to fail in trying to get someone to notice is that we're all doing it piece meal. Somehow on this board can someone come up with a date and all those interested, which should be 100% of those on this board, should compose their own messages to Mrs. Obama within that 24-hour period. How could she ignore tons and tons of emails coming thru all on the same day. She is a woman and I would think that if we got any response at all it would be from here. If anyone knows her own personal email, please post.

I think the President has way too many other agendas to juggle at the moment. I'm not saying that Mrs. Obama isn't busy with her duties, but I'm going to have faith that she is at least going to say what is really going on here - something's not right, gotta check into this more and just maybe she will do the ground work and then pass on the findings to Pres. Obama.

How about it, guys & gals? I know there had been efforts here before to organize and they didn't come through, but we've got to try something and soon. Those of you who have professional help to relay your message that's great, but everyone else just put your heart and soul into it and express everything that you have experienced. Since we can't all afford to get together to stage a protest at MQ's home office, we have to utilize all of the resources we have and right now, it seems to be the Internet. Counting on ya!! If we do want to truly save our jobs every one of us has to do it and not just let one person get out there and speak for everyone. Make sense -- if you want to bash that's fine with me, won't hurt my feelings any -- MQ has desensitized me some time ago and my skin has thickened.

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