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

Electronic medical records came in and we were immediately out of a job - Kell

Posted: Jul 26, 2012

I don't see much talk about EMR taking over the MTs job. This has happened to me with my last three companies (small transcription companies) that I have worked for. With my last job we had an account with a large hospital that had a cardiology group we transcribed for. EMR came in and we were immediately out of a job. Just wondering if anyone else has had this experience...pretty much sucks

Yep, worked for an Ortho clinic for over 10 years . . . - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
then 1 day got the news that my services were no longer needed. No notice, nothing.

EMR - Kell

[ In Reply To ..]
That's been my experience too...no notice at all...one day lots of work, the next day no work and they don't answer calls or emails.

EMR - greyhound mom

[ In Reply To ..]
The same thing is happening to me. I transcribe for 3 different offices. I knew they were getting EMR since I would go to the offices to pick up and deliver tapes. One practice has 3 doctors. They would dictate every day. Now all I have from them is 2 days dictation from 1 doc. I went from about $2000 a month to $200 a month.

One of the other practices went from $800 to zero for the last 4 weeks.

My last practice still has not gone to EMR yet. So I still have some time. Thank goodness I am collecting social security.

I heard that the doctors are eager to do the EMR because they will get some kind of bonus from the government.

I mentioned that I go to the offices to pick up the tapes. I looked through some of the folders (something I would normally do), and I know they can't be proofreading their work. One doc who was very picky about his work now says it doesn't look too bad. I beg to differ.

Greyhound Mom, we are offering incentive to facilities to - switch to EHR, as I copied inside. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
As you can see, by 2015 they have to have these new, expensive systems in place or they get penalized by not being eligible for full reimbursement for patient bills. Anyway, their important 2012 deadline is what's happening to you right now.

Issues of how using us conform to meaningful use requirements are also what are of interest to all of us. If our pay was considered waste, hospitals and docs wouldn't get paid for transcription/editing costs.
_______________________________

The Medicare EHR Incentive Program

The Medicare EHR Incentive Program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
Participation can begin as early as 2011.
Eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 over five years under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. There's an additional incentive for eligible professionals who provide services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HSPA).
To get the maximum incentive payment, Medicare eligible professionals must begin participation by 2012.
Incentive payments for eligible hospitals and CAHs may begin as early as 2011 and are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
Important! For 2015 and later, Medicare eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs that do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will have a payment adjustment in their Medicare reimbursement.
Note: If you are a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), please visit our Medicare Advantage page.
Back to TOP

The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program

The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology in their first year of participation and demonstrate meaningful use for up to five remaining participation years.
The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is voluntarily offered by individual states and territories and may begin as early as 2011, depending on the state. Check with your State Medicaid Agency for more information.
Eligible professionals can receive up to $63,750 over the six years that they choose to participate in the program.
Eligible hospital incentive payments may begin as early as 2011, depending on when the state begins its program. The last year a Medicaid eligible hospital may begin the program is 2016. Hospital payments are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
There are no payment adjustments under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Back to TOP

Important Medicare Dates

October 1, 2011 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Reporting year begins for eligible hospitals and CAHs.
January 1, 2012 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Reporting year begins for eligible professionals.
May 2012 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ EHR Incentive Payments begin.
July 3, 2012Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Last day for eligible hospitals to begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.
September 30, 2012 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Last day of the federal fiscal year. Reporting year ends for eligible hospitals and CAHs.
October 3, 2012 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Last day for eligible professionals to begin their 90-day reporting period for calendar year 2012 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.
November 30, 2012 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Last day for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals to register and attest to receive an Incentive Payment for FY 2012 under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.
December 31, 2012 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Reporting year ends for eligible professionals.
February 28, 2013 Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ Last day for eligible professionals to register and attest to receive an Incentive Payment for calendar year (CY) 2012.

Same thing happened to me. GI clinic for 20 years. One day there, next day not. :( - ET MT

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Yeap, lost a several hundred thousand dollar per year account - just me #1

[ In Reply To ..]
Lost my large office accounts but now have their surgery centers, which had tried to go EMR but the doctors were too busy.

The good news is I have received several calls a few months ago from physicians tired of EMR and doing it themselves and now wanting transcription services again. Also, I am coming across physicians with injuries we usually get.....

interesting! - nm

[ In Reply To ..]

It's not EMR, it's the programs.... - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
EMR is just Electronic Medical Records. What's putting MTs out of business are the programs being used. These slick salesmen tell doctors they HAVE to use their point-and-click sytem to conform, or use our system and "you no longer need trancriptionists", or use our system and you'll save $$$. Of course they don't tell them that there are EMR platforms that integrate transcriptionists.

And I agree, the transition happens in weeks, more often days. I think about that every time an MT posts just to say they have a great job but it's a secret, so post just to brag. You can lose your account tomorrow.

Actually, the transition has taken a few years while - facilities have both waited for better programs

[ In Reply To ..]
to be developed and to know what to do, because the technology and how the laws would be implemented and when are not something they knew anything about.

This was/is an opportunity for the MTs providing their services to help them make their choices for the future...

Transition - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I was referring to the transition between for example, implementing a point-and-click system, and giving notice to the MT that they are no longer needed. Many facilities (see above) have no scruples in this regard.

At the last facility that transitioned, we questioned the work dwindling, with no answer. Finally the facility informed our company that they had been in the process of switching over departments to point-and-click for MONTHS. We were finally told when they were almost complete...with a week's notice. Fortunately, I found a job where I work with a program that integrates EMR and medical transcription, which is one of the reasons I decided on my current MT company.

The docs I worked for made the decision based entirely on $$$ - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
We provided them great service, less than 24 hour turnaround and instant transcription on H&Ps and anything else they wanted.

The still booted the 3 ICs that were working for them with no notice. It was all about money for them.

I am not sure how to take your last sentence?

Agree. Re: "Saving $$" - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
What I see (and hear) more often now is how these doctors HATE some of these systems. It doesn't save the projected $$ because they spend more time clicking, looking at a computer, editing, data entry, etc, which means they spend more time on documentation and see less patients, which in turn decreases revenue. That doesn't even address the quality issues.

Unfortunately, the larger facilities rely on administrators (who have no knowledge for this field to do due diligence) to choose the EMR programs. And they do so because of the sales lines "you can get rid of all the MTs!", "save money!", "qualify for government incentives!" "look at our magical program demonstrations!". So now they'll have to keep it even if it's not efficient/cost-saving, physicians hate it, and/or it's DANGEROUS to patient care, because to do so would be to admit their costly error. Most of the doctors who I see going back to EMR utilizing transcription are smaller practices who trialed a program and saw the faults, or can afford to switch back. At least now it's more widely known that there are other options than physicians having to point-and-click and stare at a screen as they question their patient who is in the same room. BTW, that's the SOLE reason "scribes" are now needed. Why in the world would a doctor (or patient) want to deal with this. Unfortunately, scribes are paid a pittance, so it's not feasible for a skilled MT, and the only winners are the software companies that came in early selling their wares, no matter how inefficient they've proved to be.

The last sentence--I've suggested a few times the last couple - years that MTs in business for themselves not

[ In Reply To ..]
wait be surprised but rather help their clients choose a new system. Rather than leave them to the mercy of rapacious salespeople who'll tell them anything to make a sale. Rather than sit and wait to lose clients with no attempt to hold onto them.

We know that a wise choice for many will definitely include continued use of us, at least as an option, but we've also known all along that many practices don't know what they need to to make this big transition.

I see... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
That is really good advice.

I will say that at the ortho practice I was working for, we did indeed try to make them understand the differences and the older docs were definitely resistant to EMR of any kind. Then the older docs started to retire and were replaced with younger guys who were all about $$$ and technology. To their credit, they did not jump on the first one, they took years to find the "right" one. I guess I just assumed, wrongly, that it would never happen. I do find it really awful that after so many years of great service they did not have the decency to give me a heads up.

That's sad, Anon. It's probably because they DID feel bad and kept - shoving it away. You know, like people do. :( NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

We kept running out of work at my - alana

[ In Reply To ..]
hosp acct. Then we started seeing different names in the Winscribe directory. Still, no comments or answers to emails from the hosp. Then, the day after my H and I found a house (we'd been looking for a yr) and right before the holisdays, we were told that 12/31 would be the end of the hosp transcription dept. Hosp mgt told us not to say a word to the woman who ran the overflow service (she employed 4 or 5 MTs full-time). We withdrew our offer on the house. Of course, several people gave the heads up to the overflow service (the owner had worked for the hosp for over 20 yrs and knew everyone there).

WMX got the acct and they have done a terrible job - didn't keep one single promise. Now Nuance is doing the same - and hosp mgt does not care. The hosp is still not on WMX/Nuance's system and it doesn't look like it will be any time soon. Meanwhile, the OMs, TL, TS, and what-have-you can't manage their ways out of a paper bag.

They didn't tell you because they needed you - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I would be more surprised about hearing of any ICs that were actually given a heads up.

Yes I transcribed for a big teaching facility - for years who has EMR

[ In Reply To ..]
They still dictated and I typed it into the computer; it just didn't print out to a paper chart. EMR is not what's going to put us out of a job. Info still has to be entered -- it is the Epic or whatever and the point and click and Dragon Speak, etc. that is putting the info into the charts now instead of an MT to "save money."

You didn't lose a job to EMR - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
EMR has been around for ages. I've been working in an EMR since 1995. It's not new.

The programs that are being used to implement and upload work into the EMR, now THAT may be putting you out of a job, but believe me, EMR is NOT.

small clinic - Lynda

[ In Reply To ..]
I just quit a job I had working for 2 surgeons. It was in house and I hated all the noise and interfering office manager. I made a little over 10 bucks an hour and worked as little as 8 hours a week depending upon workload. Behind my back they were talking about going EMR. I could have helped them as I worked for a company that offered it for a monthly fee with no equipment to buy, but they would rather just leave me out of the equation. They had the nerve to be angry just because I offered to do my 2 weeks at home. Previously it was ok for me to bring work home to get it done when the clinic was closed but apparently that was not good enough for them. I don't regret leaving.

Similar Messages:

Sep 13, 2012

Would anyone who does EMR editing be willing to share their experiences with me? Is EMR editing enjoyable, how does it compare to traditional QA editing, what does the job entail, etc? Thank you! ...

Jun 27, 2013

What is electronic medical records? Goodwill is teaching a 3 month class starting soon. I have heard about a government mandated thing that doctors have to go electronic by Jan. 2014, but not much more than that. I know someone could shed some light. I am thinking of taking the class, but don't know if it would be worth it. Although, I think I could sleep through the medical transcription portions, LOL. ...

Dec 28, 2010

what is the status of EMR...is it going to impact MT industry ...

Dec 22, 2009

How many amongst you have used any of the popular EMRs like practice partner(http://www.practicepartner.com),infraware (www.infraware.com). EMRs have suddenly become very hot since they will become mandatory by 2014. I had read some where that there are some security issues with them.What do you think are pros and cons with EMRs? ...

Jul 30, 2011

I have heard and read that Obama is really pushing the EMR, and by the year 2014, he wants all hospitals/clinics to implement this or else be taxed. He also is supposed to be offering grants and incentives if they do also. So any hospital or physician office that doesn't will be taxed more and will not get incentives, grants, etc. So I think most will try it cause they don't want more taxes and want the incentives, etc. So where does that leave us? If you work for a hospital, what ...

Oct 24, 2011

Anyone out there transcribing directly into EMR? I'm wondering about using text expanders in EMR and, how are you counting lines in EMR? Or do you know of anywhere that addresses these issues? Thanks! ...

Nov 30, 2011

My sister has recently taken on the task of medical record compliance at her husband's dental office. They are electronic (just going that way), and she is trying to be HIPAA compliant. I know this doesn't concern transcription, but I though maybe someone has an MR person in their office who could direct her to a blog, or website where she could get information. Thanks! ...

Aug 03, 2012

The family practice I go to is using this. The doctor asks questions and constantly inputs into his PC tablet as we speak. Its not looking good for the MT field. Anyone else worried? I worked on a project transferring hospital charts from Legacy to Epic. Once they were done with using us for that project, we were let go with no notice. Just thinking my time is running out and I need to get to medical coding school fast! Then I am worried will medical coding too be forced onto the doctors ...

Jan 05, 2013

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/copying-common-in-electronic-medical-records ...

Apr 16, 2013

Is EMR the same as voice reconigition? ...

Mar 02, 2011

I am contemplating going to school for transcription but wondering how the electronic records thing is going to effect the job market. Will there still be a need for transcribing? It seems a lot of offices are using the computer for all there notes. Any info on this subjest would be appreciated. ...

Apr 28, 2010

To: Current MTs I am considering entering the medical transcription field. I am trying to evaluate the pros and cons of this business to see if it will be a good fit for me. If anyone has reactions to the following statements/concerns, I will be glad to hear them. I am encouraged to hear from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states an expected growth of 11% from 2008 - 2018. --- This is great news! However, I'm concerned about the new law coming into ...

Mar 20, 2011

Dear medical coding students and medical coders: I am starting The Andrew's School of Medical Coding on April 1, 2011 and I have I am looking forward to it. I want to ask you your opinions. I was at the dog park with my pug Cruncher yesterday and I was telling my friends that I was looking forward to starting school and one my friends who is an oncologist at NIH was advising me that I should think twice about starting medical coding as a profession because the implementation of the electron ...

Oct 03, 2014

Ebola patient in Dallas went to this hospital when he first started having symptoms. According to news report, there was a "flaw in the electronic medical records, and doctors were not informed of his travel history." Patient came in from Liberia. Why oh why was this not caught the first time he came to the hospital???? IJS ...

Nov 29, 2011

I'm looking to purchase a good medical dictionary to incorporate into my word program. Anyone using one? You can email me since we can't name names here. Thanks ! ...

Jan 14, 2015

I have been corrected by QA twice on this one. The first time it was changed to capitals (Electronic Medical Record), so I started typing it that way. However, recently I had it changed to lower case (electronic medical record). Both times the sentence was the same... "Detailed in the electronic medical record." I had always typed this lower case until it was changed the first time. I never did understand why it should be capitalized. How do you usually transcribe this one? ...

Sep 24, 2012

Does anybody know of a good electronic medical dictionary on CD-ROM? Thank you! ...

Jun 26, 2014

Everywhere I turn I see nothing but EMR - No more dictation, no more transcription. At an eye appointment today when I told the technician I'm a medical transcriptionist, she responded with "DO THEY STILL HAVE THAT?" It's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Transcription and even VR will not be needed by next year. Walmart please hire me! ...

Aug 01, 2010

A local hospital is hiring a medical records tech. For experience, all they ask is basic computer experience, knowledge of medical terminology, and a h.s. diploma. Hmmmmm...I've had the terminology certificate for a year, plus a completion certificate for MT and several specialty certs, and I passed the RMT exam. Think I ought to take a shot at this even though I have no prior experience with filing, records, etc.? ...

Jun 25, 2011

I've heard something recently about this and just wondering if it is a good parallel to MTing and if the pay is better? ...

May 07, 2012

I would advise EVERYONE to get a copy of their medical records and view them. I had to get copies from my PCP (cost me $15.00, but worth it), and I found soooo many mistakes. Some I know were the MT's, but most were the doctor's mistakes. For instance, they had under my family history in the last year of mother having diabetes. My mother NEVER had diabetes, and don't know where they even got that at, as I found earlier in my file my family history, which wa ...

Sep 26, 2012

Anyone go from being an MT to a Medical Records Clerk at a hospital? I was thinking with my experience in transcribing medical records and being familiar with the terminology and HIPPA, an MT would be a good candidate. Any thoughts on this? ...

Sep 13, 2013

Article from The Guardian. ...

Sep 27, 2014

Hi all, I have a job interview for a position as medical records clerk in an orthopedic center. I quit MT about 3 years ago and did a few things that didn't work out, and now I have an opportunity to interview for a medical records clerk. I had sent them a resume, most of which was transcription, and they called me to come in and see them. Does anyone know if I can transition to it that easily? My friends all think that just because I know medical terminology, that I can just trans ...

Jan 14, 2015

Since Septemer 2014, every visit with every provider has gone like this. 1) The medical assistant types into my record. 2) The provider types into my record. At the end of my visit, they hand me the summary of my visit that day. It goes like this 1) The medications are mostly right although some are wrong and way wrong. 2) My age is off by 10 years at one facility and they 'cannot correct it.' 3) My height and weight are off a whole lot at another facility and they 'cannot c ...

Nov 14, 2009

With HIPAA regulations tightening on who can get a carbon copy of a patient's medical record, MTs should NOT have the responsibility of sending any carbon copies at all. All carbon copy requests for a patient's records should go directly to the hospital's medical records dept for a signed release verification from the patient for that copy to be sent. Reports being sent from any outside provider without the proper signed release from the patient should be consider ...

Apr 15, 2011

My husband's father had a brain tumor many years ago (back when I first started dating him) and had surgery. Unfortunately, the surgeon never stopped the bleeding completely before closing him up and waited too long to take him back to the OR, so he remained in a coma for numerous months until he passed away. My husband's mother many years later also passed away. My husband is starting to have periods of extreme forgetfullness and completely not remembering something ...

Nov 26, 2012

nm ...

Apr 17, 2013

Did anyone else question that advertisement? First, they say that you can work at their locations, then later on they say that the candidates need to have internt access, that does not make sense. Also, the list of people they consider good candidates does not make sense. Coders and RNs to scan records? I'm not saying it's beneath them, but it's just seems a little strange that they would seek those type of people (as well as some others on the list) for an ...

May 02, 2013

Hi I am a bit worried. I had to be put out of work, and probably for a while, because of hip and knee problems that are causing me so much pain that I can hardly walk and I cannot sit for long before my hip and back are killing me. Thing is, I have "been with the company for only 9 months" so I do not qualify for family leave act. Does anyone know if they are quick to fire you if you file under the other: ADA Qualifying Impairment. I was a "bring over" from another company, but they a ...