A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
I have been looking at different boards and needed to post some answers to a few questions I read.
TRANSCRIPTION AS WE OR AS MOST OF US KNEW IT APPEARS TO BE GONE. ONE DOES NOT NEED TO LOOK FAR TO SEE THE ATTEMPTS TO SELL COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL MTS A "BILL OF GOODS" OR ---- IN OUR FACES AND TELL US IT IS RAINING.
YES OSI OUTSOURCES AND HAS FOR MANY YEARS. TWO YEARS AGO WHEN SOME OF US WHO WORKED AT OSI ASKED ABOUT IT--WE WERE LIED TO BY THE COORDINATOR SAYING, "WE HAD TO TO GET THE ACCOUNT"!. GET REAL, WHAT WARM-BLOODED AMERICAN IS GOING TO TELL OSI OR ANY COMPANY IN ORDER TO HAVE MY WORK YOU MUST SEND IT OVERSEAS, (INDIAN OR ASIAN COUNTRY) HAVE IT MESSED UP AND THEN HAVE AMERICAN TRANSCRIPTIONISTS (WHO USE MY MEDICAL EXPERTISE AND PAY FOR MY SERVICES) FIX THE WORK AND PAY THEM SO LITTLE THEY CAN'T PAY FOR MY SERVICES.
OSI IS NOW OWNED BY NUANCE (A FIRM WHOSE PRINCIPALS AND PRINCIPLES ARE PRIMARILY NONAMERICAN) EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT.
ENCOMPASS IS ALSO OWNED BY NUANCE.
HIPPA IS A JOKE!! OSI, NOW NUANCE, IS DOING TRANSCRIPTION (BY ITS INDIAN TRANSCRIPTIONISTS) OF VA HOSPITALS UNDER AN UMBRELLA CALLED GENESIS EVEN THOUGH THAT WORK IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY. LIES CONTINUE AND THEY SAY THE WORK IS DONE ON U.S. SOIL!
THE AMERICAN GREED (OR MOSTLY FOREIGN GREED) IS RIDICULOUS! IF JOBS ARE GOING TO KEEP GOING OVERSEAS THEN THOSE COMPANIES SHOULD BE TAXED AT A 50% HIGHER RATE. (I THINK IT IS ONLY FAIR, IF WE HAVE TO NOT EARN A LIVING, THEN THEY SHOULD PAY MORE FOR CRIPPLING THE ECONOMY HERE NOW). IF THEY CAN'T PAY THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO MOVE THEIR OPERATIONS TO THEIR CHOSEN OVERSEAS COUNTRY AND SEE HOW MANY PHYSICIANS, CLINICS, AND HOSPITALS WILL DO BUSINESS WITH THEM).
HAVE WE ALL NOT DEALT WITH VOYNAGE (IN PARTICULAR) AND ATT, HP, AND OTHERS WITH THEIR FOREIGN TECHNICIANS AND NASTY ATTITUDES. WE NEED TO BOYCOT SOME COMPANES UNTIL THEY BRING THE JOBS BACK HERE. EVENTUALLY ALL CALL CENTERS WILL BE ANSWERED BY AN INDIAN OR ASIAN CALL CENTER AND AMERICAN WORKERS WILL BE PAID EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE PAID OR LESS.
WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A MARCH TO WASHINGTON (LIKE THE BLACK AMERICANS DID WITH THE MILLION MAN MARCH) AND TRY TO FORCE SOME CHANGES.
WE LIVE HERE, ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS, AND WE DESERVE TO EARN A LIVING HERE!!!
PLEASE I BESEEECH THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SICK OF THE LIES, LET'S ORGANIZE AN EFFORT TO TURN THIS CRAP AROUND!
****** THEIR IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. WE JUST NEED TO GET A PLAN AND EXECUTE IT!!!! GOD BLESS ALL OF US!
Relax a little; I really truly think this outsourcing thing is going to come to an end. The problem lies not only in the (sometimes) lack of knowledge of medical terminology but also the lack (always) of understanding of American idioms/slang/colloquialisms, which can utterly change the meaning of the report. There is a breaking point and I think it is being reached.
Here is an example of the kind of thing (as an editor) that I am talking about:
The doctor said: "Be that as it may, the patient should undergo . . . "
The Filipino MT transcribed this: "In May, the patient will undergo . . ."
This particular hospital, by the way, has terminated the contract with the outsourcing service and is now taking control of its transcription and is hiring MTs directly. There was finally just one too many doctors complaining and threatening to go elsewhere.
I think a number of hospitals who have been outsourcing are realizing how important an accurate medical record really is, and how dangerous it is for the patient if it is not, and moving toward taking control again because of all the errors and the potential liability of the hospital (not to mention loss of accreditation) which far exceeds any short term cost savings.
That being said, I would still consider getting into something else if that option is available to you. Personally, I'm nearing retirement and my intention is just to coast for now, but if I were 10 years younger, I would definitely do something else.