A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Picky companies - MT47
Posted: Feb 01, 2012
I wonder if anyone else has noticed the "hoops you have to jump through" to not only get a job as an MT but to keep the job once you are fortunate to find one. I have been an MT now for 12 years and am finding it quite frustrating what companies expect from their MTs as far as the "finished product" goes. It used to be an error-free report was a report that had the correct terminology, lab values, medications, and dosages, not to mention appropriate use of commas, etc., that did not change the meaning of the sentence. Now it seems as though companies are coming down equally hard on formatting, sentence structure, and style preference in the same light as a critical medical error for an incorrect lab value or dosage. I am finding it hard to understand why all of a sudden things have come to this extreme, especially when the pay is considerably lower now than it was 3 or 4 years ago. It is as if you have to pull out a big thick manual with 20 pages of check-offs to make sure the report meets all criteria before you submit it. I only wished the doctor would spend a fraction of the time with me as a patient as I spend on making sure the report has passed the "white glove" test before I send it.
Agree 100%!! - MMTT
[ In Reply To ..]Agree 100% about formatting and the like. Just got an email about formatting, telling me I have been doing it wrong for the last 6 years. I have to follow their rules, use their headings and not my own shortcuts. What changed all of a sudden to make shortcuts wrong? Why so much focus on formatting and not as much on accuracy? I suspect it is just another way to slow us down and cut our pay. More keystrokes = less pay.
Quality Work - JCM
[ In Reply To ..]They are always saying we need quality reports. That's understandable. We are dealing with medical reports. Well, what about the dictation? My motto is "Quality transcription begins with quality dictation." There are so many doctors that dictate so poorly that you can't understand a word they are saying. I think these doctors should all be in-serviced on how to speak clearly when dictating reports. It all begins with them.
so true, and - 1mt
[ In Reply To ..]because the MTSOs will not say anything to the doctors about errors they make or problems they are causing by speaking so fast, speaking while yawning, speaking with food in their mouth, speaking with their chin over the mouthpiece of the phone, etc., etc., etc., they don't know any better or they choose to ignore the fact that it might cause a problem because nobody ever complains to them about how they do their dictation. It is quite ridiculous how we are corrected for a forgotten comma, but the doctor can do his dictation however he/she chooses. Really, some of these people talk so fast there is no way they are actually saying what is provided in their samples. Yet another example of how we have to fix their work, but nothing gets said to them to correct their own issues. It's sickening!
Dictation, I do tell the clients to dictate clearly - I have dream dictators
[ In Reply To ..]I am one MTSO who does demand the clients dictate clearly. No cell phones, no VOiP, speak clear in English on a land line... great dictation habits equal faster, more accurate medical reports, and in return I do ask for quality work turned in. I call this good dictation etiquette, and this is on every service contract with every client.
So Right! - Addison
[ In Reply To ..]I agree also! I worked inhouse for a group of ENT docs for almost 13 years. The only "rules" that I had to follow were to get the medical info correct, and to be grammatically correct. I could abbreviate if I wanted to, or not. It was standard for the note to read:
Pt is 35 yof c/o L ear pain.
It wasn't considered critcal if generic drugs started with an uppercase letter, or if brand name drugs started with a lowercase.
I don't think patient care would be affected if we typed "well-nourished male" and left out the hyphen.
Right there with ya - I also believe - sm
[ In Reply To ..]That the headings at our company have to be done a specific way so they do not have to pay us for them. Give me a break!!!! We still have to put them on there don't we!!! Why shouldn't we be paid for them?
When I worked in-house in neurology, the only rules were "make me look good." That means if you spelled everything correctly, put in the punctuation and paragraphs correctly, and brought THEIR MISTAKES to the doctor's attention, then you were worth your weight in gold. They absolutely appreciated it! I know where to put hyphens if they require it, but what difference does it make whether you type cannot or can not? What difference does it make if you use tendinitis or tendonitis? This constant nit-picking is very counter-productive.
And when they say "preferred" spelling or term.... - Preferred by who?? NM
[ In Reply To ..]s
Exactly - Addison
[ In Reply To ..]What's the difference between cancellation and cancelation? Both are correct?
JCAHO rules - and otherwise...
[ In Reply To ..]A lot of how reports are transcribed now are due to JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) rules, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) rules, and the fact that people today are "lawsuit happy" - you would want your own medical records precise and accurate. I think that abbreviated example you gave above is SLOPPY. I would feel awful transcribing a report like that - most hospital transcription is done a certain way across the board for all facilities, but then again, each facility has their own account specs that we follow along with the basic "MT" rules. Account specs always come first. I know you know that. There is a standard dangerous abbreviation list developed by Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP),certain ways to abbreviate per the Book of Style or as shown by most medical transcription references. You are not to abbreviate in the IMPRESSION, ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS sections, NAME OF OPERATION for insurance coding purposes/reasons. There are reasons beyond trying to drive MTs crazy. It is just hard to get all the MTs on the same page. After you have been in this business for a million years you realize why they have all these crazy rules. Now please don't give me grief for stating that the above example looks sloppy. I work on an account that allows that and I think it looks horrid awful. I do not understand why a company would allow that, but they are probably trying to save money or squeeze a lot more info onto one page. I think it just looks very unprofessional when compared to how most places want the work done. You can talk to a lot of MTs that have been in the business for quite a while and you will find out that over the years, the standard rules follow the BOS and the Dangerous Abbreviation List and most Stedman's Word Books IMO I would not want my medical record abbreviated as shown in your example. Words need to be spelled correctly, format needs to be the way the client wants it, abbreviations need to be correct. You really should not be able to transcribe any old way, or what would be the point of going to school, becoming certified if you are, etc?
I think we all agree that we want to provide the most accurate report possible. - IAMT
[ In Reply To ..]We also want to be paid fairly and that includes the time spent doing research for the CC's, meds, new terms, etc. It would appear that some companies pay only for what is put on the page and typed. If an MT works in-house, this may not be the situation and we all deserve to be receive quality pay for quality work. Not sure the MTSO's are realizing this.
It's the Picky Clients - JT
[ In Reply To ..]It's the clients who are picky, and they come down on the MTSO. The MTSO is kissing the client's feet because there's competition now on where the hospitals can go for transcription.
One of my accounts is so ridiculous, it's ridiculous.
I do think some of this heading stuff has to do with back-end formatting. I do also think that they have found ways to NOT pay us for our trouble, i.e., using headings hard-wired into the system. Just a thought. I don't trust a one of them.
I am right there with you!!! - Ellen
[ In Reply To ..]I too feel that things are just crazy in this field now. I have been in it for 15 years now and making less and less money but jumping through more and more hoops. I'm in nursing school and hopefully out of this field forever in a couple of years! :)
Different perception - SpringChicken
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with the JCAHO post above, and I think there are two other POVs to consider. One concerns billing and reimbursements from insurance companies. We have to use a language and a format that a deskjockey can understand to help process the claims more quickly. Insurance companies are notoriously tight fisted, and I can definitely see them putting up a fight trying to decipher the practically straight abbreviations mentioned above. The other aspect might be the adoption of EHR. In the near future we will supposedly have nationwide access of medical records for patients and providers. Therefore, the formats should match for simple location of pertinent information in an emergency, and also be readable by your average Joe Patient as well. I think we are all just being tweaked and groomed before the big roll-out to prevent it from being a total disaster.
Also worked acct where they abbreviated in every sentence. - sm
[ In Reply To ..]This was a very large clinic account. Maybe 85-100 doctors. They were so concerned about costs, they demanded abbreviations as much as possible. Instead of left upper extremity, it was LUE, RUE, LEs, UEs. Even in the diagnoses, DM for diabetes mellitus. It was so bad, I do not know how an insurance company or anyone else could figure it out. This was the client's demand! BOS - out the window.
Another company, 32 urgent care centers, did the same thing for their own doctors. The MTs had a 10 page of list of abbreviations like ROM for range of motion, etc. It goes from one extreme to the other.
I wish there was a standard universal platform for all, and universal headings, subheadings, and general specs as well. Wouldn't that be cool? Wishful thinking, I know. The urgent care centers above, and many of you know who they are, have their own MTs but had an MTSO for over-flow, which was constant. The MTSO could not follow all the specs, with their 10-page abbreviation list, and gave the account up for that very reason.
Similar Messages:
Just Curious About Our Nit-picky
Feb 27, 2015
I do a lot of genetics reports and often have to list the 23 genes tested for in breast cancer patients as well as terms regarding 22q11.2 duplication, etc. Do you suppose if I had one of these down incorrectly that our ESL QAs would notice, or can they only pick out those little grammar/hearing issues. I really do not believe the terms that I (with 35 yrs experience) have to research are terms which our ESL QAs are familiar with. Again, this 99.5% quality BS from MM is just that. ...
ShurCan Says They Are "very Picky," Yet They Offer A Whopping 5-7 Cpl. Nm
May 05, 2013
xx ...
Always See The Companies To Stay Away From, How About Companies To Go To?
Oct 23, 2012
I see many warnings about bogus companies but I need help to steer me to a good company or at least a company that is fair, hiring and gives a fair entrance test. any ideas? ...
Which Companies Use
Oct 11, 2009
Escription or ExEditor VR? TIA! ...
What Is With These Companies?
Dec 30, 2009
Can anyone answer me why is it that these MT companies hire you and they all promise you the sun, moon and stars. Oh we have TONS of work. We guarantee you at least 11 accounts and 2,500 lines a day. Then you are sitting there 6 months later, waiting for jobs? I have experienced this many times. Can it be that its just bad management and they overhire? Does anyone know of a company that really does have TONS of work? I know this is the slow time of year, but many times its happened at othe ...
IC Companies
Mar 01, 2010
Are there any companies left who hire strictly IC status, and if so, pros and cons? Thanks! ...
Why Do Companies Who Don't
May 05, 2010
pay us hourly anymore anyway make us punch an electronic time clock? What's wrong with sending simple timesheets like we did for years? It has no effect on our pay whatsoever since we aren't hourly and is only to cover their butts regarding overtime, so why do they go through all the nightmare of eTime?! ...
Any Companies Who Do Not Use VR? (sm)
Jun 02, 2010
The company I work for has gone VR (on most jobs). I cannot make any money doing this. My pay has been cut approximately $150 to $200 every two weeks. They have already taken away the incentives, and now if you screw up a couple of times on demographics, you do not get paid for the job, and the third or fourth time you are pulled from the account. I am just so frustrated. This VR is killing me. It takes more time to make corrections. It is frustrati ...
Can Anyone Tell Me What Companies
Jun 11, 2010
hire newbies and which ones are the best to work for? A friend of mine wants to start transcription - god help her : -) ...
Companies For New MTs
Aug 18, 2010
Can someone please point me to reputable links or companies who hire new (recently graduated/just out of school) transcriptionists? I don't want to apply to companies that aren't good to work for! Who are ones that you know of who hire right out of school and are good to work for? I need something!! I can't take it? I feel like I have applied to every company that I have found on the Internet with no response! Sorry if I'm venting, but it's just g ...
Are There Any Companies That
Aug 30, 2010
nm ...
Companies That Do Not Pay!
Sep 01, 2010
Getting so tired of hearing this! We need to start a list online where MTs can go to check. Any suggestions? ...
Can Someone Tell My Why Companies Do This?
Sep 30, 2010
So, I see it all of the time, people on here complaining about no work, yet the company they are complaining about is HIRING. My job recently did this as well. I am day after day running out of work, but yet I see an ad that they are hiring! I e-mailed the owner and asked about it and she didn't reply. I UNDERSTAND that they are hiring for a different account, BUT, since it's all transcribing, why not just move some people around and give those extra accounts to ...
I Just Have To Wonder About Companies That Say
Nov 13, 2010
they want ICs and then say they need them to work certain days and hours. Will this be a problem? Umm, yes! lol!! Some things never change. ...
What's Going On With Some Of These Companies??
Jan 19, 2011
I got an email yesterday telling me that I didn't meet the quota of 10,000 lines for the last pay period... well, duh... There is not enough work. Today I get an email asking how many times I checked on a new account yesterday because they had issues and actually never went live at all. I responded to the email and my supervisor emails me back asking me if I'm hourly or on production. huh?????? No work this morning either... just sit ...
Do The Other Companies Out There Have This Much ASR?
Mar 25, 2011
This is ridiculous! I just was rehired again after being away for 2 years and I'm thinking I made a mistake! I want to know if there are any other companies out there that let you JUST TYPE! Would love to hear from someone who has left and is working for a different company as I think I have one foot out the door! ...
What Companies Use DQS?
Mar 29, 2011
x ...
Companies Using XP
Apr 29, 2011
Periodically, I will cruise the MT help wanted, and see some companies that list the system requirements as "must have XP." My question is this: I wonder if they mean must have at least XP or do they mean MUST HAVE XP. I find it difficult to believe that any system out there only works with XP, as Vista has been around for a good long while and even Windows 7 (which I wish DocQ would update to) has been out for a bit. I mean, it would be very difficult to find a computer ...
Companies That Still Use FTP?
Aug 10, 2011
I am in need of a company that still uses FTP where you download a bunch of work at once, work on it, send it back, repeat :) If you know of anyone and do not wish to post it, please feel free to email me. Thank you very much. ...
Are There Any Companies That Pay
Sep 11, 2011
Any companies that pay a premium for RMT and then help you progress to CMT? I realize this is probably a long shot, just curious anyway. ...
Companies That Use DQS
Oct 08, 2011
Can someone tell me the name of a few companies that use DQS other than the Squid and DSG? I worked both those places and would not go back no matter what! ...
HI! Does Anyone Know Of Companies That Use
Jan 15, 2012
xxx ...
Any Companies Allow MAC Use?
Feb 23, 2012
Experienced MT looking for PT work but currently have a MAC with dual operating system (VMware Fusion) or Windows on a MAC. Any info on companies that allow this, if any, would be greatly appreciated! My choice would be NOT to have to buy a new PC unless I absolutely have to! Thanks! ...
I Have To Wonder How These Companies Think We
Apr 13, 2012
can make it on $15 a day!! I just started a week ago yesterday and have also run out of work twice. This is really pathetic. I know some on here say they would never take such a low paying job (4 for editing and 6 for straight typing). Had I not been desperate, believe me I would not have either. I have to wonder what happened. I know I will get a lot of answers to that question, but why in the world are we the ones getting such lousy pay? I am seriously ...
All Companies Are The Same. They All Want You To
Apr 23, 2012
guess if you cannot understand something. Oh they won't tell you straight out to guess, but that is what they want you to do. It is the same ole blame the MT mentality. If the ESL is horrible, do not dare ask them to speak better. MAke the MT guess and if SHE gets it wrong, it is on HER head. No thank you!! God what I would not do to find something else:))) ...
Are All Companies Going To VR?
May 21, 2012
My pay has been cut by more than half and I'm working longer hours due to VR on most accounts. Well, when I have work anyway. Are there any companies that hire for straight typing any longer? How do people live on this work now? I had to come back to my verbally abusive husband due to no money and I was literally starving. This is all I know, have been an MT now for 20 years. What to do............ ...
What Gets Me About Certain Companies
May 25, 2012
is when they post an ad for help. I send my resume clearly showing my experience for the job and they never even contact me, even putting up another ad. This just gets me!! ...
Looking For Companies That Pay 8 Cpl
Jun 12, 2012
...
Same Companies Over And Over Again
Sep 25, 2012
I know this was addressed yesterday, but the same companies are posting the same jobs. Are they just getting busier or is everyone quitting??? I don't even feel like applying for these same jobs. Does anyone know what is happening? It seems like there is a lot of work out there, but the same work. ...
Very Sad Pay At Most Companies
Dec 08, 2012
It amazes me how many people try to make others feel bad for accepting these positions. Unfortunately right now these wages are what this market is and people who need a job who need to work to live don't have a choice but to accept these positions. So they do so only to have to constantly listen to others saying they are "stupid" for taking it and they are the reason the companies continue to do so. Yes there is an option to get out of the field and work elsewhere but for ...