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

There are always so many MTs posting complaining about QA, so I thought maybe QA was due some - equal time!

Posted: Sep 01, 2011

I just spent most of my day basically doing full listens on about 30 reports by one specific MT who sent EVERY report she touched this morning to QA, all clinic notes by the same dictator. All looking like swiss cheese with more blanks than actual words. I basically transcribed these reports. The dictator, although ESL, was clear, dictated at an even pace, and was extremely repetitive meaning that after one or two reports, things really should have started to click for the MT. There were times when she would leave a blank and then later in the report, he would say the same phrase and she would get it right, but didn't bother to go back up to correct the previous blank. She left blanks for all physician names without even trying to look them up which could have been done with a few keystrokes.

When I educate this MT and tell her that she is leaving an excessive number of blanks, she will undoubtedly become miffed and post here griping about QA and how we tell them not to guess at anything, but ping them for leaving too many blanks. What some MTs fail to realize is that it is obvious to QA when an MT is simply not trying and when they are legitimately having a problem. So my assessment of this particular MT is that either she was not trying and was being very lazy OR she is a new graduate with little to no experience whatsoever and cannot do the work. Voicing either of those opinions will probably offend the MT no matter how right I am.

QA is a valuable resource to the MT, but we are not the MT's safety net! We are here to educate NOT to clean up your mess!

very well put - enufsed

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x

Sounds like that MT isn't going to last - No excuse for laziness

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Even being fresh out of school doesn't excuse the kind of laziness you're describing. This is someone who either has no work ethic and/or pride in their finished product or who has been possibly taught not to spend time on anything and to send it to QA because of working in a production environment.

Too bad whoever taught her that didn't teach her that learning to research is a valuable and essential part of the job and will save her time down the road when she knows the terms that she spent the time researching today.

The real test will be when you go back to her with the blanks and your education. I think you're very accurate in your assessment about the attitude you can expect, but I hope for the MTs sake that you're wrong and she views it as a learning opportunity.

I've always written down my feedback from QA so I can go back and reference it the next time I come across that phrase from the doctor - because you KNOW he or she will use the same phrase again.

Hope the MT gets her act together before she has to be let go for inability to perform the job. Hope the rest of your day goes better.

Just a question - SM

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Does MQ supply samples?

Samples - ts

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I've only had some very few samples available in the respository.

Aren't MTs able to do a search reports and look up previous reports - QALady

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for a specific dictator? When I was an MT, that is what I did. If no samples were provided to me, I found my own samples and built on those with feedback from QA.

I've worked on several different platforms in the past and always had the capability to look at other reports as a reference. Research is part of the job! That's the problem with some MTs, they don't want to research anything. They want it all handed to them on a silver platter and what isn't handed to them, well just blank it because "that's what QA is for."

It depends on the platform and/or how it is set up - Happy MT Robin

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I work on a Bayscribe account and we have no access to other records. Don't know if it's just the way this MTSO sets things up or if it's Bayscribe. The other companies I have worked for gave us access to prior reports, which is a godsend.

Even with the Bayscribe account, though, when we got a new dictator or something was wonky, my QA person was able to give me sample of that doctor's work to reference.

There's no excuse for the kind of sloppiness and laziness that is described in the original post. None.

I guess I shouldn't assume that they have access to old reports. - QALady

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It wouldn't be unheard of for an MTSO to not consider that this feature might actually aid an MT in his/her job!

I hate not being able to look up old reports - MT

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Yes, I don't understand why some companies don't allow you the function to look up old reports. It was one of the questions I asked companies went interviewing and I'd say it was about 50/50. Doesn't make any sense to me. You'd be more accurate, spend less time trying to figure out what the doctor is saying, and less would go to QA (we had access to about 6 months of old reports on my last job and I really miss it).

I truly believe that the clarity of recordings you QAs - get is far better than the MTs.

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We get the same voice files as the MTs. nm - QA 2

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xx

paranoid - karla12

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This sounds a bit paranoid. Why would QA get a different voice file? you think management wants you to fail? they want good quality results no matter who transcribes it. So what do you think happens? They add static to it before they give it to you to type and then magically it goes away when the QA gets it? I actually do both at my company. I am mostly an MT and do QA on a fill-in basis when they are swamped or someone needs time off. It is exactly the same voice file.

ive had this suspicion for a long time - nm

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.

Why? Because if you can't understand then no one else can? - OP

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And if QA gets it the sound file must be of better quality?

It couldn't be because you're incompetent or lazy or inexperienced!

You should hear the sound quality of the dictations I listen to all day. There is so much pops and clicks and white noise and distortions, my ears actually sound funny when I'm done working for the day. I can listen to that crappy sound all day and still hear well enough to fill in the blanks. That's what makes me qualified to be a QA.

Why on earth would they give the crappy quality files to the MTs and give QA the better ones? The MTSO SAVES money if the MT can type the report without blanks and send it directly to the client. When a report has to make a pit stop in QA, it costs the company more money! It would stand to reason, then, that the MTSOs would want the MTs to get the best quality dictation as humanly possible! Use your head people!

Wow - you must be a lovely QA person. UGH - MT

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...to say anybody who leaves blanks is "incompetent or lazy or inexperienced". Wow.

No, I would never generalize like that at all. I still have to leave blanks from time to time - OP

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when I transcribe. What I am trying to say, what I was saying in my original post, is if an MT leaves an excessive amount as of blanks, as in my examples, said MT is either a incompetent, lazy or inexperienced MT. At no time did I ever say that all MTs who leave blanks are incompetent, lazy or inexeperienced. Actually, if you want to get technical about it, I was saying that about the one and only specific MT of whom I was thinking when I composed my original post. IMO, that particular MT is either incompetent, lazy or inexperienced.

It's not a conspiracy MTs. QA gets the same quality voice files that the MTs get. QA has to follow the same, sometimes vague, account specs that the MTs do. And QA struggles just like the MT when a dictator is truly a bad dictator. QA knows the difference between a truly bad dictator or a lazy MT or an MT who hasn't received the appropriate samples or training for that matter.

I see your point . - MT

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Ah. I see, and understand where you're coming from and do agree. I know I hate if I have to leave more than one blank in a document. Thought sometimes it's a catch-22. I'll spend way too much time trying to figure out something, finally think I have it, and then get dinged for a major error because it was wrong. I've never submitted a swiss cheese report - agree with you that sounds like laziness.

Do all QA people act like they've got bees up their - behinds? Chill pill needed here.

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What's ''clear'' to you... - may not be to the MT

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A doctor may repeat a phrase, a term, a medication, or (especially) a name and pronounce it differently later in the report. The MT, who is told never to guess, is put in the position of having to do just that, wondering, for example in regard to names, if he was simply mispronouncing a consulting MD's name the first time or if he is now referring to a different physician. As this poster demonstrates, the MT will be damned as ''careless'' if she guesses and damned as ''lazy'' if she does not. Some acct specs instruct not to use a staff MD name unless it is dictated completely (first and last). Then, when the dictator gives just the last name, the MT is, once again, put in the middle---does she guess or does she leave a blank. When there are ever-changing rules and specs and especially QAs (like this one) who fancy themselves grand ''educators'' rather than a second ear who fills in blanks and puts the final touches on the finished product, then expect ''Swiss cheese''. This poster sounds extremely judgmental, self-important, and her post is chock full of assumptions. Companies who employ self-important QAs do a great disservice to themselves by hurting their own reputation because experienced MTs will avoid such companies like the plague. Obnoxious, self-aggrandizing QAs on a power trip like this one are as detrimental to an MT's livelihood as the greedy MTSO itself.

I'm only an MT, but I have never really thought - of QA as being a second ear

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for me. I think more of quality, not someone there when I can't understand something. I send very, very little to them and usually a blank is left blank. That to me is part of the problem is that MTs are looking at QA as a second ear. I get kind of frustrated when QA does get my blank as I feel I have ears just as them, why could I not get it.

I guess we all look at it differently. When I start on a new account, I am waiting on QA feedback to make sure I am doing things as the client expects (education).

It was clear period. Maybe a little more clear to me because I have a more experienced ear, but cle - OP

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My point is that she is either inexperienced or lazy. Either way, she should not be typing on that particular account or maybe not with that company.

I know the trend now is verbatim and strictly adhering to the account specs, and I my best to keep that in mind when I am checking work, but I'm old school and I don't think it hurts anyone for the MT to use her brain a little. Like say if your typing an oncology note on a pt. who has breast cancer and has had a mastectomy and the dictator says to send a copy to Dr. Smith and they are two Dr. Smiths, one is an ophthalmologist and one a general surgeon, which Dr. Smith do you suppose the dicator means?

Furthermore, as one poster below asserted, I do not deduct for ommissions of commas or the word "a" etc. unless it is a glaring mistake that changes the meaning or enhances the meaning of the sentence as a whole. I am not what I would term as "nitpicky."

clear or not - 1mt

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In response to the example you gave if a Dr. Smith is referred to, if the MT does not live in that area they would not know which was the correct one unless they took the time to look it up on the internet. If you have to do this for every single report, that takes up a lot of time where you are not producing lines, thus not making money. If the doctor cannot specify which doctor, should it really be the MT's job to decipher which one he means and research all the Dr. Smiths in that area? And then what happens if there are more than two docs with the same last name? ... very likely to happen. If the MT decides to pick the doctor that they think is correct, then they are assuming and you know what that means. If they pick the wrong one, that could be more dangerous then leaving a blank and letting someone, either QA or the doctor's office, enter the correct doctor. Entering incorrect information based on an assumption is more reckless than just leaving a blank. It's not being lazy, it's being cautious.

The MTs job is to learn the physicians in the area of the facility for which they type. - OP

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Is there a learning curve? Yes. By the way, for my example, I typed in one of the Dr. John Smith in Tibuktu, Alaska and got results that said what his speciality was. It took 10 seconds.

learning physicians in area - sure - 1mt

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Excuse me, but in your original post you did not give an example that the dictator provided a first name of the doctor that they were referring to. That would/could make a difference. But even still, if the MT is doing work for 2-3 different states...sorry, I don't believe it is their job to learn all the doctors' specialties for the locales that they do transcription for. That would be ridiculous to expect. If a first name is given, that will narrow it down and make a difference. And so I ask, if it is so simple and non-time consuming to research doctors for EVERY report, why can't the dictator who should already know what doctor they are referring to provide the first name?? We as MT's should not have to assume which Dr Smith they are referring to.

No, it is not the MTs job. The MTSO should have a data bank (sm) - billie

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of doctors, hospitals, clinics, etc that is provided by the facility and kept updated. My MTSO does. If I am not paid for looking up doctors then a data base should be provided to me.

MTs do the hard part, QA does the easy part. - QAALSO

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We are clued into what the blanks are by what the MTs have given us by their initial draft. That being said, however, some we have to re-type since many do not have the experience to be typing the initial draft or are interested in lines so much that they don't bother to do their job initially. But I understand going for lines because pay is so low these days and you can't make a living on just one job doing this.

Most of the QAs I've ever known were just posers - - MT wannabes who couldnt cut it otherwise.

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Do what our QA does.... - alias

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our QA is allowed to take lines away from the MT and add them to their own line count, leaving the MT with even less pay than before, but adding to their own. Needless to say, since QA is out to make money as well as the MT, take as many lines as you need to make your monthly quota, and make the MT look like she knows nothing! Nit pick her to death, put an "a" where none was dictated, call it a "verbatim" account when it suits your purpose, but ping her for NOT using extra words if the sentence deserves it. Tell her it is >>>"I will see the patient back in three weeks' time>>> one time, take lines away from her, and then when the MT corrects the "error" and types it that way, change it back to >>> I will see the patient back in three week's time.>>> and ding her again! yep...that's the way to do it! Good for you....!!!

And the penny drops and the OP's original - point is made

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nm

''And the penny drops'' - Is this supposed to make sense?

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Though this is an informal board, the poster's message was pretty apparent. If ''And the penny drops'' found it all that difficult to connect the dots, shudder to imagine what her QA work looks like.

LOL. That is not it at all. - And the penny drops

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Penny in the air...and the penny drops is a colloquial saying for a statement left up in the air, and then when the penny drops, the point is made or made clear.

What I mean was in the OP's original statement she said "When I educate this MT and tell her that she is leaving an excessive number of blanks, she will undoubtedly become miffed and post here griping about QA and how we tell them not to guess at anything, but ping them for leaving too many blanks. "

And that is exactly what happened with the myriad of posters who then came on here to whine and moan about QA.

Penny in the air... and the penny drops.

Or you could do like mine does - sm

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and let you manager do almost all of QA. Saves you money by not employing many QA people and also the managers have a first-hand look at all your work.

Re: Manager does almost all QA - sm

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Actually, that might not be a bad idea. The manager's goal is turning around as great a volume of acceptable work as possible. Seems like she would be less likely to indulge in petty nit-picking or impose her own personal preferences than the neurotic QA who thinks she's qualified to play school marm.

''Do what our QA does...'' - sm

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What a ridiculous policy. No one should work for a company that allows one worker to deduct from another's pay at her own discretion. Terrible.

What? - anon

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Why do you work there?

I will not be much longer...only they do not know it yet. - alias

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I had no knowledge of them being allowed to take lines away, as it was not in the "contract". I only found out when my worked dipped below 98%, according to them, and it was all formatting issues, not my actual transcribing...save string error, etc. It is "running dictation" style, all dictations on one long file. In the save string, I accidentally left the word "LOG" on the save string and she dinged me 13 points for that, because there were 13 files in the entire dictation. I am out the door as soon as they return from holiday. I do not hold with that! the save string has nothing to do with the "quality" of one's work. Maybe one "error", but not 13!!! I have had enough!

That is Disgusting!! - anon

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I so feel for you. That's just plain awful. Maybe you could get them on a breach of contract suit? Through small claims maybe? I wish I knew of some agency you could at least report them too. =(

Good luck to you!

well, I tendered my resignation... - alias

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They sent me more work after i tendered my resignation and I wrote back that I would not be the one doing it, as I had already resigned. They said they had given me "ample time" to improve the quality of my work. ha! the two other jobs I have do not have a problem with the quality of my work. so it must be something they are not doing correctly, like saying it is a verbatim account and giving a QA error if you add the word "a" to a report, but the next time you leave the "a" out and they give you an error for not putting it in. Giving me an error for the word levothyroxine when my medical spellchecker would have caught it and changed it to the proper word or underlined it in red so I would catch it. something is not right here in Denmark and even with threatening to "fire me" every single day I worked there if my quality did not improve, they were upset with me for "not giving notice." They said they were not "negative" in their dealings with me.... well if that is not negative, I surely do not know what is. Happy I left. Better doors opening down the road!

Sounds like those folks were a nightmare. sm - JustPassingThrough

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You can bet your bottom dollar that it was never going to get any better there. Best decision you ever made was turning in your resignation. They sound like the MTSOs who burgeoned in the late 1980s after they found out there was money to be made in this profession. As the MT, you were hung if you did and hung if you didn't with the tables always turned in their favor.

it sounds to me like - mecmt

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she is only trying to get a good line count.

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