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Half-dead doctors - Thornbush

Posted: Mar 29, 2013

Why is it that MTs (especially the ones who are starting out) have the opportunity to transcribe dictated reports from doctors that sound half dead, like they are using their last breath to dictate a report? It's amazing to me when QA tells me that they can make out everything these doctors say.

What do the more seasoned MTs think about this?

you'll hear everything too eventually - OHMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Especially if you transcribe the same doctors a lot, after a while you'll be able to figure out what they're saying, especially if you have good QA people who tell you, and you have the opportunity to listen again with the blanks filled in.

My first MT job, I had a doctor that was so bad, it was five years before I sent a report without a single blank. I still type that doctor occasionally, and now I rarely have a blank with him. It's amazing how your ears will learn, and as you become more familiar with the terminology, you'll be able to figure it out because you'll know what's supposed to be there.

Of course, you should never guess, so when you do have blanks, send a note to your QA person, and it probably wouldn't hurt to tell them how impressed you are with their ability to hear everything, and hopefully they'll respond by helping you out. When I did QA, I appreciated it every time someone thanked me for my help.

Good luck!

LOL! Ah yes, I remember when I was a newbie - Bilboa

[ In Reply To ..]

It has pretty much everything to do with how much you're slowing them down to try to make out what they're saying.

You wouldn't believe the power you have at your fingertips. They get healthier AND much, much less depressed when you speed them up!

half dead doctors - corgi

[ In Reply To ..]
I do agree with another comment that said you do eventually get used to the dictator's voice. Before I started with Medquist/MModal and was on my own, I had my own accounts and when a new dictator came on, hard as it was, if you got a whole tape (remember those?) to do of them, you got used to them sooner than later. I wish the same could be with companies like this. If you did get the same doctor over and over again on any given day, you would get used to what they say.

They just dont teach you newbies properly - thats all

[ In Reply To ..]
Years ago, the education was fine becuase when you started out with a company, they kept you on one account. You got used to the dictators real fast, had samples given to you, had a mentor to ask questions from. Now, there are all foreign dictators, we get the bottom of the barrel dictators, the ones who speak at the speed of light, or the ones who mumble beyond belief. Anything halfway good was sent overseas and we get the garbage left behind. They do not prepare newbies for this kind of atmosphere.

I'm 15 years doing this - ...and

[ In Reply To ..]
I still have my challenges. I agree with poster who said to speed things up. Most tend to slow down a dictator. If your "half-dead" dictator is also slurring, speeding him up actually speeds over the slur.

I had one doctor who sounds exactly as you describe. The very first time I did him, I felt sorry for him---I thought he was horribly ill or hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in 48 hours. Turns out, that's just how he dictated. It takes all kinds!

I used to transcribe a doctor who sounded like... - KD

[ In Reply To ..]
he was beyond the grave. It was crazy how dead he sounded. I mean no disrespect because he actually sounded like a very caring physician given how he spoke of his patients, but the man sounded like a corpse. Speeding him up definitely helped.

One of my favorite (sarcasm) type of dictators are the ones that sound like they're intoxicated. I doubt that they are since they sound to be at the office still, but they literally slur all of their words, trailing off at the end of each word or sentence, leaving you to decipher what they're trying to say.

The winner, though, was one of my Indian doctors who had a new baby and used to hold her baby while she dictated. Oh that was just loads of fun. First of all, she had a very thick accent, a very soft, high-pitched voice so I would have to strain to even hear her, then add on top of that, now she's holding her baby who is crying, cooing, burping, gurgling, you name it! Crazy!

Once you have a few more years under your belt, you'll be able to deal with those situations a lot better. Speeding them up or slowing them down can help. I've also heard that some MTs use a sound booster (from Radio Shack) that they swear by, though I've never tried one personally. Also, samples, samples, samples! You need lots of good samples. Take note if they are saying the same key phrases and keep that in word pad or some other program that you can refer to when you're typing. *Remember, no patient information should be in those samples though.*

@KD - RE; samples

[ In Reply To ..]
I would just like to note also that when I started new doctors and I was having difficulty understanding them, I would ask for samples, as well. The more, the better, as far as I was concerned....and then I ran across a company I had just started working for and after two weeks, I asked for samples on a difficult doctor to understand and I was responded to with: "Since you rely heavily on samples for some doctors, and others do not, you are hereby terminated from this position. Sorry it did not work out." Imagine my surprise! and then anger at such a statement and reason for termination! I was just dumbfounded! since when is it a crime or a QA "error" to request samples when one does not understand what they are hearing, not to mention if you send ANYTHING to QA, you immediately lose 1 cent per line just for them having to open the report and read it? ugh. Just thought I would "warn" about the policies of some companies. They are not always so "keen" on helping a new transcriptionist.

I used to have a doc that used to fall asleep while dictating - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
I felt so sad for him because I knew he put in many, many extra hours caring for his patients - but it was also funny because he would dream and dictate the funniest things from his dreams.

I never said a word to him about it and just skipped over the dream part. I worked for him for 16 years, but EMR has now taken over his practice and he does the charting himself.

Answer to your question - me3

[ In Reply To ..]
Most MT companies, hospitals, etc. don't differentiate between seasoned MTs and new MTs. Everyone has the same opportunity to transcribe ESL dictators, 'half dead doctors', speed demons, etc., and yes, QA people and seasoned MTs do hear, and transcribe, exactly what that 'problem dictator' is saying.

It generally takes several years for a new MT to really get a grip on less than ideal dictators, and that's why QA feedback proves invaluable to new MTs.

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