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

I keep looking at coding, considering it but........ - Gossip GIrl

Posted: Feb 11, 2012

there's just ONE little thing that keeps me doubting the possibility of it being a long-term career:

I keep seeing more and more ads every week for "at home coders". Does this make you at least a little nervous? It makes me a LOT nervous. We all know that once MTs started working from home, the MT field went into a tailspin, pay-wise, because "work-at-home" seems to translate into "work-in-India", instead.

Also I see some ads for MTSOs that also offer coding. Once again, the Middleman rears his greedy head.

Gossip Girl - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
This issue has been addressed below numerous times, so my response is going to be direct and to the point.

If you are seeing ads like that, please say where they are. I am very familiar with this industry, but I am not seeing ads like that. I do not know where those jobs are or what they involve.

We have discussed that there are more roles in coding than those involving sitting at a desk applying codes We have discussed the role of software in coding, as well as offshoring. We have discussed career progression for coders and pointed out that this is something coders should expect to do, because this is an ever-changing field. We have discussed that there is nothing wrong with that--it is, in fact, good.

Without a reference to your source, your post becomes nothing more than inflammatory gossip, the spread and stirring up of which, if your name is any indication, seems to be your intent.

Coding is difficult work that requires a high degree of professionalism, emotional maturity, and the ability to work cooperatively and effectively with teams that include physicians and other healthcare providers. It requires the ability to do effective research, comply with regulatory standards, and to seek and create improvements. It requires continuous self-improvement and education, an interest in advancement, and the open-minded willingness to change.

I mentioned that for the benefit of like-minded individuals who might see that coding would be a good fit. It will also help those stuck in the malcontent-gossipmongering role see the changes in themselves that might be necessary before they could be happy and successful in coding.

If you need something that will never change - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree . . . coding is not your thing. I am not going to beg and plead with you to reconsider. Spare yourself the agony of this decision, spare teachers the agony of trying to refocus your beliefs, and spare coders everywhere the negativity that accompanies this kind of thinking.

If you want something that will never change, try dog walking. Start a business in pet care, lawn care, pool cleaning, grocery shopping and delivery, auto detailing, and other personal services.

Wow, harsh. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If you look at the coding jobs on Indeed and type in either "remote coders" or "home coders" you will see several coding jobs working from home. There are several coding consulting companies who hire coders to work from home.

Diskriter is one that is offering remote coders - lala

[ In Reply To ..]
They are looking for several remote coders.

http://www.diskriter.com/Careers/job10.html

i would never work for an MTSO doing coding! - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
An HIM company, yes, but not an MTSO.

Someone else might. It is not all about you. - nomessage

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

With the MTSO history of pay and labor relations - Not going there

[ In Reply To ..]
I can't imagine that too many coders would be willing to accept the pay they must be offering.

Remote coding - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
It is true that some of the MTSOs hire remote coders, but if you read the fine print you will see that they are recruiting only those with one or more credentials and several years of experience. One of the hospitals in my city sent their coders home to work due to space issues. You are making assumptions about what the companies offer in regard to pay. Experienced coders can name their price because they can go elsewhere and find work. As someone mentioned, there are many ways for a person to use their coding skills ranging from entry level jobs in claims processing and billing to advanced auditing and consulting jobs. Some of the companies you refer to hire traveling consultants who go from facility to facility and work. Another MTSO that I know of offers on site training for coders. You are trying to compare MT to coding and that is like comparing apples to oranges. As I see it, the MTSOs are looking to the future and want to stay in business as speech recognition has made an impact on their client base. If you did a little more reading, you might become better informed instead of making assumptions that may not necessarily be true.

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