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

Sniffles and coughs? - Soofie

Posted: Aug 21, 2011

What is the limit?

I have a relatively new doctor to staff that sniffles 30 to 50 times in on assessment (psych). Snuffles them right up and gives a big swallow too! Coughs of course, and talks when he yawns. This is 50% of my work EVERY DAY.

I've already refused to transcribe what he yawns and in trouble for that. I've now told the sup the if he snuffs 5 times I'll stop and hand it back to her.

So many other things wrong with this doctors dictation. Too many to mention. But the snuffling is disturbing.

What would you do?

What I would do - ...

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't think you want to hear this, but I would just buck up and do my work.

I have a yawner/snorter, and while it's infuriating, I am there to provide a service to him.

Do I think he should snap out of it and act human? Yes I do.

End of story.

I agree - cheesey

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with Soofie. If we could pick and chose what we wanted to type based on what disgusted us or whatever, we would have no work.

I've had foreign doctors make me cry. Yes, for real, they were that bad! I have to pass through the long report several times, deal with the horrible sentence structure, fast forward through the minutes of silence before they pick it back up again saying something I can't make out.

Although, I wish doctors had to listen to their own dictations every once in a while. There are some that are so consistently bad that I think just having them listen to themselves would make them more aware of what they're doing bad. If they can't understand themselves, how can they expect us to?

coughs... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I hate to put it this way, but what I would do is my job. There are always docs that make us wish we could push the computer over a cliff, but it is our job to do the work. Every job in any field will have something that you won't like about it. It's just part of it.

frustration with bad dictators - here4u

[ In Reply To ..]
Soofie, while it's true that Dr. Sniffles will never change his disgusting ways, and you're fighting a futile battle if you think he will...I'm here to say that it's perfectly okay for you to vent your frustration here on this board. Every one of us knows exactly what you mean. However, I'm wondering if you could ask for a different account, as this one is seriously burning you out. Might be worth a shot.

Sniffles and Coughs. - Soofie

[ In Reply To ..]
Nah, this is beyond "buck up". I've never heard anything like this in my million years of transcription in and out of medical. I've actually never refused to transcribe anything before, or even complained.

Unfortunately I transcribe for a dept so can't pawn him off on anyone else.

Sniffles - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with you. It is absolutely disgusting and discourteous.

What would I do? Try to practice compassion. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you truly think he does that deliberately to annoy you?

The doctor has a medical problem, not a moral problem or a manners problem. He isn't doing it to annoy you or to be rude, but because he can't breathe. A lot of times, problems like that are exacerbated as they try to dictate and that's why you are hearing so much of it.

You might want to look closely at your own behavior. He can't help his, but you are choosing to engage in what is now becoming recognized as bullying behavior. That's what employers are calling it.

When someone focuses negative attention on the perceived faults of others, pointing them out in the workplace, talking about them to everyone else, refusing to work with them or for them, and generally making a big stink about them, that behavior is called bullying.

A person who engages in that kind of behavior often isn't aware of it, so that's why I'm pointing it out. Your supervisor is likely aware of it and your employer may buy into the belief that the best way to deal with it is prompt termination. If they're not, then they may buy into the notion that termination for refusing to work is a good thing, too.

Be happy that you have a job right now. Be happy that this man HAS this problem, because if he didn't he'd probably be able to use VR and then you wouldn't be needed.

Are you kidding me?? - Wow

[ In Reply To ..]
I think I've heard it all now.

bullying? - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
My gosh she was just venting some frustration. I don't think this makes her a bully!

Why are you directing this comment - towards me?

[ In Reply To ..]
??

bullying? - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I was directing the comment to the poster talking about compassion and being a bully.

then you need to have THAT post open, THEN click - post a reply. please. (NM)

[ In Reply To ..]
.

crappy dictators - been there

[ In Reply To ..]
She's just burned out. She's not trying to cause trouble or feel sorry for herself. We have all been burned out in this profession at one time or another, and we will be again. She's just asking for some empathy.

Plus, some facilities/MTSOs will actually try to train the docs - Happy MT Robin

[ In Reply To ..]
It depends on the kind of relationship the MT manager or MTSO has with the doctors/clients. Something like what was described in the OPs note needs to be mentioned to the doctor and he needs to be made aware of this. It's not that he has health issues - maybe he does, maybe he doesn't - but if he's not made aware of the fact that his habits are really offensive, he won't know to try to stop. Maybe he's not aware of the fact that he has a pause button - it could be something as simple as that.

Doctors can be trained (yes, I know, I'm giggling at that, too), but if no one says anything to them, then they don't know to try to change behavior that is impacting the quality and accuracy of their repors.

compassion? - soofie

[ In Reply To ..]
LOL Yes, this person is COMPLETELY aware of his "problem" for which he does have treatment options. He does not have practice this poor hygiene in face-to-face conversations although he's still very rude and obnoxious.

Bullying... - Unbelievable!

[ In Reply To ..]
What a ridiculous response and absurd use of language. An MT is attempting to do her job in spite of a sloppy physician who, for whatever reason, dictates in an unintelligible manner and the poster accuses the MT (!) of bullying. Talk about blaming the victim! (In 40 years of MT, I complained about only one physician. Why? Because before each dictation, he would whistle loudly into the phone, and it was ear-splitting. Apparently, he was spoken to because on a later dictation, he laughed and chuckled, acknowledging his whistling as though it was cute---No apology and no thought for the person at the other end. I remember telling a co-worker in the office that I was going to complain to the sup, and her response was shock: ''He is one of the most respected cardiologists, blah, blah, blah.'' So WHAT?! Does that mean he owes no consideration to others who are just attempting to do their jobs? It's okay that his carelessness makes an already difficult job much harder? This poster would probably have accused me of bullying and her self-demeaning doormat attitude explains why MT industry is in its current state.)

Sniffles and coughs? - soofie

[ In Reply To ..]
I should also say that i'm not burned out. I love my job and have no trouble with ESL, special requests, etc. I have great relationships with all the docs I work with.
It's just this guy came on board 6 months ago and it goes beyond the limit of what is reasonable or bearable over time.
There are guidelines for dictation but no direction for non-compliance. There's no bullying going on here. Just trying to establish a benchmarke. Geesh.

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