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Will SOP to Bankrupt MTSOs? - Angela

Posted: Oct 16, 2012

From what I am hearing about the financial difficulties and downsizing of many MTSOs, I suspect that their SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) are going to bankrupt them. Will we go back to ICs working directly for the doctors/facility? Isn't it a matter of downloading a free platform or utilizing a server for MTs that encrypts? Here is where the MTSO are losing money: Clients not informed of horrid sound quality, taking the MTs a lot of extra time to decipher. Doctors are not trained in how to hold a mic and not obliterate phrases with breath sounds on every dictation. Doctors are not required to NOT use cell phones. Research requirements are not compatible with lines rates. Required lines per shift are not compatible with research requirements. Companies provide service to clients who are such horrid dictators at the same line rate they provide to excellent dictators. Companies did not anticipate the cost of tech support for software incompatibilities. MTSOs turning doctors mistakes into the MTs mistake. Need for recruiters, managers, supervisors, trainers, and departments to handle all the above problems.

Drs dont care about the quality of voice files, they only want cheap. But - we dont work for Drs., we work for SM

[ In Reply To ..]
management. That is who pays the bills. And they want MTSO VR because they hear "save money". Dr. do not give us a thought. I am sure they would think if you arent paid enough, do something else. Drs. just want a document in a file, they dont care how it gets there, not that it matters, cause they dont pay the bill.

Doctors DO CARE about sound quality when it affects quality/TAT - just me

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Of all 96 physicians I transcribe for, I only have problems with 1 dictator's phone despite addressing it. My service contract specifies a landline, and I do not accept cell or VoiP. If they do use it, they are well aware of the 35 cpl charge I will attach, which is a good deterent. I speak with all facilities regarding audio quality and problems associated with cell and VOiP, including the fact dictators make more mistakes using the 2 because they do not pay attention. Others need to speak out too.

And.... - MT

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They are/will be losing the highest producing, most experienced MTs by the droves, between those who are soon to retire and those who are leaving for non-MT jobs and/or going back to school. With the pay, inflexibility, and much higher stress level, this number will continue to dwindle, especially over the next 2-3 years. They'll be left with offshore and newbies (most who won't stay when they realize how poor the pay really is and that it's not the flexible mommy-at-home job they thought).

I just want to mention that I see some telling those contemplating going into MT school that it's okay as a supplemental income. I don't agree, especially for those who looking into it to stay at home with young children. It is not a make-your-own hours job any longer. It's almost impossible to make any money if you have constant interruptions. Also, between the nitpicky QA, numerous rules and specifications, time-consuming unpaid ADTs and patient demographics, voice recognition that simply does not work yet we suffer for it, and constantly being graded and corrected, it has a much higher stress level than ever before.

Yes, there are still some good companies out there (I work at one) but even I know these will also dwindle (and have a very low turnover) as a result of competing with offshore pricing, point-and-click EMR, and/or being swallowed up by the greedy nationals.

What do you predict will happen? - Angela

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree, doctors DO care about quality as their primary challenge is avoiding law suits. Having worked for about 100 doctors, there were only a few that didn't require corrections to a dictation error that could have resulted in a suit. I wonder where all this is going. I agree that they will eventually be left with newbies and East Indians. Once this goes full circle and the lawsuits start coming in, malpractice insurance premiums skyrocket how will the powers that be resolve the problem?

I don't know about malpractice and lawsuits - do you really think?

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't see lawsuits coming because what we transcribe tends to be documentation after the fact. Can anyone cite a case in which a patient was harmed because of an error in the transcribed report? A lawsuit only ensues if an error results in harm to a patient. An error in a report by itself (even a dangerous medication dosage error) will not result in a lawsuit if a patient is not harmed by it. What I see happening is inaccurate billing and coding based on inaccurate medical documentation, and I see that happening more with point-&-click EMRs rather than poor-quality transcription. The other thing that actually could result in a lawsuit (not sure if it would be malpractice) is patients being denied insurance coverage or possibly losing a job (commercial driver comes to mind) due to inaccurate records either due to dictation errors that are not caught or again due to doctors themselves making errors in the EMR point-&-click system.

Doctors care about getting the coding and billing right. Many doctors care about quality, but I think they are pretty powerless over getting much done about it. The powers that be may be in for a rude awakening with regard to coding and billing, though.

agree for the most part, but I did hear of 1 lawsuit - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I have heard of 1 lawsuit that resulted when someone was refused life insurance repeatedly. When they questioned this, they were told it was because they had AIDS. In an SR record, it was reported that the patient had "AIDS-related complications" instead of what was dictated "age-related complications." I don't know that the lawsuit has settled, I just heard that there is a lawsuit.

Wow. - wonder what kind of lawsuit?

[ In Reply To ..]
I wonder if that kind of thing falls under the umbrella of malpractice? It is hard to understand the basis for the lawsuit since no harm actually came to the patient unless there was some sort of pain and suffering from being refused life insurance repeatedly. I could see how being refused health insurance might result in harm, though, if the patient decided not to seek care due to not having health insurance.

I think there will be increasing errors (sm) - Angela

[ In Reply To ..]
because for the most part we no longer have time to research for accuracy when there is such a demand for line counts while we are so slowed down by these platforms that break up a report into several parts with all the unpaid data entry required. Also morale is so low with our salaries cut in half, it is hard to remain conscientious. I do agree that most errors will be from point and click.

Personally, I'd love to see ALL MTSO's go bankrupt. - See how THEY like it! - Meerkat

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Unless you can obtain your own accounts and expenses entailed, this will include you - anon

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Personally, I think all MTsshould obtain their own accounts and put these large nationals out of business. Be advised though that this costs more than you would think.

be careful what you wish for. How do you think the bulls can buy - everything up? NM

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