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

Question to Veteran MTs - IN SHOCK

Posted: Apr 01, 2014

Has anyone with more than 30+ years of being a veteran MT ever been fired for typing or selecting the wrong DOS in any report?

Has anyone worked with a QA editor that didn't have enough experience to know the BOS?

I am in total shock and was wondering if I'm the only one that has experienced this in all my years of being an old timer MT.

I am really tired of the way this profession has gone downhill fast and how we are treated by these owners.

Am I the only one?

Sad and very angry

No, but I am sorry this - happened to you

[ In Reply To ..]
You'll be in my thoughts & prayers

Not personally, but I know of others - who have been fired for this reason

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It's one of the critical errors that most companies warn us about. I'm very sorry this happened to you. I'll be extra careful to check the DOS from now on. I hope you'll find something else very, very soon that you'll like.

wow -- - NotNewMT

[ In Reply To ..]
You should be angry. Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody in this world is perfect. I am truly sorry that you worked for a company that treated you this terrible. I hope you find a better place to work.

Did you actually not have a warning of a previous similar mistake?

The current company that I work for, which is by no means a pleasant experience, will dock the entire payment for a report if certain things are incorrect. These things are all patient demographics and style issues. There is truly no QA feedback that has anything to do with the medical information within the report. The threats from the supervisor are numerous. I have personally never been docked pay. I make it a point to document any discrepancies just to cover my arsh.

I hope your week improves dramatically!

Just sent you an email - xxxxxxx

[ In Reply To ..]
X

No, you're not the only one - you're in good company. - Likely most MTs will be let go by - S/M

[ In Reply To ..]
the end of the year/beginning of next, anyway. These companies seem to be dumping the more experienced and slightly higher-paid MTs first... the ones that know better, and who know things are getting rotten, unlike the more wet-behind-the-ears or naive variety of MT, who think they have it good.

MT as a whole is on the way out. Some companies, like M*Modal, realize this (their incoming transcription workload is shrinking drastically), and that's why they're dipping into other professions, such as coding, billing, or legal transcription.

Also, since these companies don't want the headache and expense of a mass layoff, they're targeting certain (usually older) individuals and suddenly claiming they're making all sorts of "mistakes". QA is by no means random, they're hunting until they find something - ANYTHING - with a mistake on it, and then giving MTs grief for that. My former company was dinging me for "errors" that were made as long as two years prior, and in one or two cases, dinging me a second time for old errors that had ALREADY been QA'ed and penalized!

It's beyond unfair, it's evil.

what a shame - it is their loss. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
What company was this?

That is kinda crazy. I have put in the wrong DOS - before and NOT gotten fired.

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I have made critical errors a few times over my many, many years as an MT.

I have always just been scolded for it, never even threatened to be fired.

What company was this???

I sent you an email earlier but yes... - nn

[ In Reply To ..]
Same EXACT thing happened to me about a week or so ago after I really went to bat for this company. The gal who originally trained me was "demoted" because of some "crappy office politics" that were going on. Her second in command (who only has five years experience as an MT to my 30+) was promoted to QA manager. This gal, wanted me gone within about 3 weeks of my starting with the MTSO. When she became manager, EVERY single one of my reports went to QA even though technically, I was able to send reports through as long as there were no blanks. About 2 weeks ago, I did the exact same thing (wrong DOS) and she placed me on a 3-day suspension. I contacted the owner of the company, who reversed that decision and I was back on the account the next day. I had just finished the last batch of reports for a particular day and was being extra cautious as far as DOS was concerned, checking it against patient roster and if not found there checking rosters with nearby dates. This was also done with an ADT feed, so a calendar would pop up and you would just click on the calendar and DOS or whatever date would populate. Well thought I had clicked on the correct date, even going through the report again before I sent it. I got an email the next morning regarding the fact that I had put the wrong DOS in from someone else in the company and that afternoon, got a phone call from the "supervisor" terminating my contract.

This gal never liked me from the get-go and there were times, when I would get 2 paragraphs of "corrections." The hoot of this whole thing was she had contacted me via IM and asked if I could finish typing a report that she had started to QA (for some reason it didn't get completely done). Of course I was listening to it to get to the spot in the report to start typing again, and in the first 2 paragraphs alone, I found 3-4 "corrections" that she had made, which were dead wrong. This particular person started working for the company right after she got out of MT school and has never been exposed to the "BIG BOYS" of transcription, so I really tend to wonder what would happen were this person to lose their job tomorrow and have to look elsewhere.

When I "pleaded my case" with the owner, hoping to have the termination reversed, the comment was made that had I typed a medication wrong or misspelled a word, I would not have been terminated. I worked many hours a day and generally if the work was there seven days a week. This particular company had other accounts as well, and I wasn't even given the option of being able to work on another account for them. I believe in karma and I think that eventually, this person will do something to cause her own downfall.

I came close with a stern warning. Sorry this - MT57

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happened to you. I've had points taken off because I left out the word "the" or "a" before. Made me angry

I know this is ignorant, but what is a DOS? - Oldie

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I never saw that before .

DOS...date of service, nm - anon

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nm

Thanks. Don't I feel like an idiot. Nm - Oldie

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Xx

QA mistakes - Frustrating

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I have made mistakes throughout my 30 years. No matter how high our accuracy rate, mistakes (hopefully only minor) WILL happen. And, the same with QA - they WILL and DO make mistakes. They need to acknowledge this - and to know what they don't know!

I have worked in QA before and had MTs ask me where did I document something - that is how we learn! I never would dream of taking that personally or seeing it offensive if an MT questioned me and asked for my source of something I filled in on THEIR report with THEIR initials. I would be glad to know that an MT takes enough pride in their work to see what gets put in those blanks. All of us have to care what goes to the client if we want to keep our clients - so a mistake by me or a mistake by QA, doesn't matter, has to be dealt with!

I have run into a QA group who DO make mistakes in my reports (and again, I make my own) who have taken offense when I either ask for their resource (they have filled my blanks with flat out undocumentable terms)or point out that there is a discrepancy in an edit compared to what our instructions for an account show.

I find it appalling and embarrassing to our profession that somehow MTs get into a QA position that makes them think they are infallible or who put excellent veteran MTs into an unflattering category because they ask about the blanks, let alone who care about the final product that goes to the client.

I feel your pain, believe me.

Old timer - me

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I've been around a very long time and do QA on one job and MLS on the other and I can't tell you how many reports I've gotten back that were against the account information and/or the book of style, including from the account manager. Makes you want to bang your head.

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