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line counts and templates - lauri

Posted: Jun 22, 2010

Hi - I have a question regarding counting templates. I have a new doc who wants me to only count what he dictates, and not the templated review of systems, past medical history, social history, etc. which is all unchanged (unless he says to change it). Do you cut and paste your work into a "count" file to get the total, or do you tell the doctor that it has to be included in the count. And what about the times he does make changes to the "templated items".

I welcome any suggestions.

suggestion to counting templates - ??

[ In Reply To ..]
If you have to cut and paste into a "count" file, which I don't know anything about, that takes up your time, and you should be compensated for that. I would tell him that counting the way he wants is time consuming and you will have to charge for that. Is he the one who bought it up? What does the template line count amount to--a few lines? Compare that for him versus the time it takes to get a separate count for each report because you have to cut and paste it into a "count" file, and see what he wants to pay.

Or you could count the lines in your templates - and subtract from the total

[ In Reply To ..]
If you know your ROS is 5 lines, and your PE is 6 lines, and your total report is 100 lines, just subtract that.

I would make it absolutely clear that if he changes anything in the template then the ENTIRE template gets counted in the line count.

counting - lauri

[ In Reply To ..]
It was the doctor's idea to not count the templated part of the note. He is trying to save money and is pinching every penny. I did count the templated part of the note, and it added up to $1.34. I suppose I could subtract that amount from the total count, and keep the doctor happy. I won't be, but he will.
Thanks for your help.

Lauri - That $1.34 is going to

[ In Reply To ..]
start adding up. How many patients does he see a day that you transcribe the reports for. If it's 40.... He's manipulating you. He'll tell the next person that "my last transcriptionist didn't charge me for that..."

Can you renegotiate it? I am sure you don't want to lose the account, but it's going to add up. That could be $40 a day.

most companies do not pay for templates - count

[ In Reply To ..]
inserted into dictations. Not even for the corrections and changes one has to make to the templates.

I don't think that is true - sm

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I've always been paid for every character and space in the document, regardless where it comes from. I think it should be "some" don't pay for them, rather than 'most'

I agree. over 20 years and my companies always paid (sm) - anon

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for every line no matter how it got there.

They would get in trouble from the DOL sm - Jane

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Expecting someone to do something for free (like changing templated text even though they aren't paid for it) is a no-no and they can get in trouble if someone complains. And if you're doing that, you need to call the Department of Labor.

lauri - are you sure you really want to work for a bloke like that? - might want to add an aggravation factor. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Well, I've been typing for this doctor for - lauri

[ In Reply To ..]
many years, but he just moved from one practice to another, and has to use their templates, and he doesn't want to pay for it. So, I'm going to see how it goes with subtracting templated material, and if I feel he is making more changes to the part I'm not getting paid for, I will have to discuss it with him. Its hard to turn down work when it seems like there isn't any out there. Thanks for the input, I appreciate your comments. (how much should one charge for an "aggravation factor" anyways? Not nearly enough, right!Well, I've been typing for this doctor for

I would tell him the only way to not charge for templates - would be to omit them from the report.

[ In Reply To ..]
After all.... you get what you pay for! Not gonna pay for templates? Then too bad... gotta dictate all those words, instead.

Templates are more for saving the DOCTOR time (and money, since time IS money), than they are for the MT.

Pay should be for finished product-sm - No way

[ In Reply To ..]
Put it to him this way, would he charge a patient a lesser amount because medical advancements have improved medical care? Does he give up his consult fee for only shaking a patient's hand in the hospital and making a few notes on the chart because he really didn't do anything? No, he doesn't. But he expects you to do that. You need to be paid for the finished product. It does not matter how the product was finished. Cars off the assembly line are not discounted because you can make a car in a few hours. I guarantee if he sticks his head in your hospital room, whether he examines you or not, you will still be billed the full fee.

Don't short change yourself. It affects all of us. Don't make HIS wants your problem. Look at the big picture and focus on how this will affect you overall. If you do this for him, and he then talks to others in the practice he moved from--you're stuck! Trickle down effect.

Perfect sense - You have great logic

[ In Reply To ..]
This used to be one of my arguments, but with age I had forgotten it. Thanks for reminding me.

This is what has happened to MTs, there is supposedly software that will make us faster (it doesn't) and our pay is cut because this software is supposed to make us more productive, so we should take a cut in pay....

Couldn't agree more - Jane

[ In Reply To ..]
If he does an operation and buys a new tool that saves him a lot of time, do you think he charges less for the operation? Chances are, he'll charge MORE and blame it on paying for the new instrument!

Just because we have expander tools to do our job quicker, it's none of his business how we do it. Tell him you don't have an expander. And if he has templated text, tell him too bad. He is welcome to dictate the whole physical examination each time because you don't do discounts any more than he does.

I know! - My dentist

[ In Reply To ..]
uses water laser dentistry in his practice, including water laser drill. The hygienists use water laser equipment when doing periodontal work. All that equipment is expensive, and I pay for that equipment every time I go in for work. FYI, it's worth it to me. It's pain-free dentistry!

His prices didn't go down because he's faster! It went up to pay for the equipment.

If he changes anything in the template, you should be paid for all of it. I charge my doctors. - Penny

[ In Reply To ..]
I worked for a company that had high templating. If the doctor changed anything I charged him for it. Otherwise, he should be responsible for using the template.

One question -- do you send the work - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
electronically or do you have to print it out?? If you print it out yourself, with your equipment, then you should be paid because you are using your printer and supplying ink/toner. Some places give a token number of lines for templates, some don't pay for them at all.

Where I work we are paid for everything-- templates, footers, headers, cc's etc; but the majority of companies do not pay for these because they are not actual keystrokes.

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