A long rant - Read and weep

Posted: Apr 19, 2012

Hi, All. I'm out looking for a job (another displaced MT) and have been trying to organize my thoughts when a potential employer asks why my resume looks so ridiculous. Just sharing... I have been employed in the medical transcription (MT) field for over 20 years, both as a transcriptionist and at various levels of management. I obtained the CMT (Certified Medical Transcriptionist) credential in 1990; however, this certification is not, and has never been, acknowledged by medical professionals and is rarely (or inadequately) compensated. In addition, the cost of maintaining this credential by obtaining costly continuing education credits has become prohibitive and disproportionate to its supposed advantages. The organization (AAMT, now AHDI) that awards the CMT has now diluted its resources and stated purpose to the point that its effectiveness and relevance are debatable. The evolution of transcription has been interesting to observe. In the late 1980s, MTSOs (Medical Transcription Service Organizations) came into being, offering hospitals the option of outsourcing the processing of medical records. This offered significant financial incentives to healthcare facilities, including elimination of costly benefits provided to employees, space that could now be utilized for other purposes, and timely 7x 24 turnaround transcription of medical documents. In the 1990s, computer technology advanced, permitting many MTs to work from their homes, which was advantageous for all parties and guaranteed almost instantaneous production of transcribed records for healthcare providers. The development of internet technology opened the door for new possibilities, including retrieval of dictation offshore and the development of MTSOs in third-world countries at an enormous discount. The plight of the transcriptionist has slowly become evident. Working from home has its advantages, but employees rarely meet each other or their employers. All communication takes place electronically, and employee isolation has become rampant. Transcriptionists have largely been unable to network with one another in any meaningful way, and MTSO policies and pay are subject to change without notice and certainly without input from those who are affected. Compensation has begun to plummet without recourse. Companies have begun to merge at unprecedented rates, limiting our options. Speech-recognition technology has begun to replace us, or at least re-define our responsibilities, in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment that has neither the expectation of, nor requirement for, accuracy. With compensation hovering at minimum wage, many MTs have changed employment frequently, though that would not have been our preference. Overhiring by national transcription services has become the norm, and employee turnover has reached unheard-of levels. Despite fluctuations in work availability, employers are unwilling to sustain even the meager earnings of its MTs and subtly threaten that employees' claims to unemployment compensation will be fought to the bitter end. Employer ethics, particularly in an electronic environment, are almost nonexistent. Employer references that reflect employee loyalty, reliability, availability, and accuracy are a rarity any longer, and the department of human resources has become a useless, if not humerous, smokescreen. I am hopeful that my stability in this community can be documented by my personal contacts rather than by my employment references, although I have demonstrated consistently high earnings and reliability even in an increasingly unstable profession.