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How long do YOU spend on a blank?... - blondie

Posted: Apr 30, 2010

One of the team leads sent an email out emphasiziing the importance of exhausting all resources before leaving a blank. I feel like I do. Just curious, how long do you think is an appropriate amount of time to spend researching a blank? I say 3-5 minutes max. After all, we are paid on production.

That sounds about right - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Google search, Sstedman's search, listen a couple times, leave a blank. Maybe come back later and listen again (especially ESL - sometimes after a while you pick up on their dictating style/accent). If I can't get it then then I move on.

Depends on the - circumstances.

[ In Reply To ..]
Early in a dictation, I spend less time on a blank because it has happened repeatedly that I've agonized over something only to have it cleared up later - either because it's repeated more clearly or from the context that is provided by subsequent dictation.

Also, you have to know when a blank is fundamentally "non-gettable". If a word is so muffled that you cannot even get a hint of the first few letters, and from the context you cannot even tell whether it's a drug, an instrument or a diagnosis, the best you can do is to try to clean up the audio a bit by making volume or speed adjustments and if even that doesn't help, move on.

Another "non-gettable" might be the name of a local "something" but you have no idea whether it's the name of a lake, a hockey rink, a restaurant or a weasel ranch. Again, if it's so muffled that you cannot even (or are not permitted to) spell it phonetically, there's no point agonizing about it.

I will spend more time with a blank when I can tell (from context) that it's critical to the dictation.

Now, none of this means that I just "pass" on any of these blanks, but whether I will spend a few minutes on it or perhaps considerably more depends on these assessments:

1. Does it occur early in the report? See what happens and come back to it.

2. Is it "gettable" or not?

3. Is it critical to the report?

Incidentally - a hint for newbies. Muffled words rarely get better by turning the volume up. All you wind up doing is overdriving your headphones. Instead, try turning the volume DOWN until you can barely hear the dictator. Kill ALL ambient noise around you, and listen to it again very closely. You will often find that doing this causes run-together syllables and words to become separated so that you can distinguish them, and electrical noise like hum, hiss, etc. will now be too faint to interfere with your ability to hear the voice.

Muffled words - Linda

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for some practical advice on turning the volume down. It doesn't look like I will ever have the opportunity to use this info, but it is very considerate for you to give some positive info to us "newbies."

Headphones and blanks - Happy MT Robin

[ In Reply To ..]
I have also found that a really good quality stereo headphone is 2000 percent better for hearing inaudibles than the regular "transcription" headphones. I didn't realize how much of a difference until I splurged on a set of Bose headphones. Wow. Just wow. I don't have nearly the problems that I used to, even with my one surgeon who mumbles and speaks in a monotone with the recorder on the edge of her desk as she leans back in her chair.

There are a lot of different headphones on the market in a lot of different price ranges, but get the best set of stereo headphones that you can afford, and I think you'll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes.

Happy Robin: Could you give more info - workin MT SM

[ In Reply To ..]
on the headphones? I do not want headphones that sit on my head. LOL

Headphones - Happy MT Robin

[ In Reply To ..]
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/around_ear_headphones/index.jsp

These are the ones that I have that are around the ear. Bose also has this in-ear option:

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/in_ear_headphones/index.jsp

I use these as a travel option to keep in my computer bag for when I do transcription during down times at my hotel job at night. These are also very nice.

I loved my Bose over the ear but... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
the wire connection broke when they were just 1-1/2 yrs old. I could then only hear out of the left ear. I now have Sennheiser over ear, which cost about the same, but are much sturdier. The only problem with them is they are extremely heavy and bulky. I cannot honestly say they are comfy for full time, 8 hr a day wear. However, I could never go back to the typical MT-type headphones. Never. Good headphones are well worth the investment. The house could be blowing up around me and it wouldn't bother me.

These are great guidelines for getting blanks. I also - love having access to previous reports if I can ch

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Sometimes just getting away for a few minutes clears up your frustration too. sm - RoadRunnerMT

[ In Reply To ..]
If I am stuck, have exhausted all methods and really feel I need to get the black, I'll get up, take a break, get some caffeine, wash a load of laundry, etc. for a few minutes. When you come back, sometimes it hits you instaneously what you were so stuck on earlier. Get a short break and get some oxygen flowing into that brain!

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