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A small ray of hope for MTs - old and burned out
Posted: Sep 02, 2011
Recently, one of our local hospitals opened up 4 full time jobs to QA the work they are getting from their vendor. It seems the doctors were complaining about the quality of their reports. My hope is that other hospitals as well will see that you get what you pay for and that the lower rates they are demanding followed by the lower rates paid to qualified MTs working for companies like MQ results in the loss of the most qualified MTs and inferior work being produced by less qualified off-shore personnel, newbies and probably even high-school drop-outs who are willing to work for minimum wage. I hope they realize that they will save some money with the use of technology but the work that still needs to be transcribed and edited requires education, skill and experience and those who have those qualifications will not work for the rates that MQ and other companies are paying. Perhaps this is overly optimistic but if it happened at one hospital, it can happen at others.
OABO - Former MT
[ In Reply To ..]Yes, I had thought this would start happening at some point. SR is never going to be PERFECT and what we do, be it straight typing or editing does take special talent!!! I have often thought I may return to the medical field and use these skills I worked so hard to obtain in some way, shape, or form. I feel that someday the tide will turn....and that the skills we have will be in demand. Yes, they get what they pay for! Oddly enough, I returned to a former employer who used to mistreat employees.... now years later I am back there, and I have to say they definitely have learned that that is not the way to make money. I am thanked, told I do a good job, and breakfast or lunch is bought for all who work on Saturdays!!! It's not perfect, but for now my bills will get paid, and the stress is from the public, not my employer!!!
Yeah, they did that at my local hospital, but - Do not hold your breath
[ In Reply To ..]as soon as the offshore people were "trained" by our QA and started passing the audits, they dumped us right back out the door after a little less than 1 year. I was one of them. They did not tell us it was a temporary job either.
Not holding my breath but - old and burned out
[ In Reply To ..]I hope that is not the case. It doesn't involve me personally as I no longer work full-time but does involve a friend. We have done work for this hospital in the past and they have always behaved in an ethical fashion. You would also think that there will always be new off-shore MTs who will continue to need editing.
I certainly hope the best for your friend because - Do not hold your breath
[ In Reply To ..]it really sucks when you think you are valued and then get kicked to the curb like you are worth nothing, much like the MTSOs are treating us now.
I loved my hospital job, worked there for 15 loyal years. They then got rid of the transcription department and re-hired a few of us to QA. I am close to retirement, so can handle working for a service for a few more years, but really feel for those just coming into this field; but I guess you cannot miss what you never had.
Old and burned out also.
Hoping for the best - old and burned out
[ In Reply To ..]The situation here is a little bit different. This particular hospital has outsourced their work for a long time. In fact, MQ did it for many years until the hospital became disgusted with them. In the last few years much of their work has been off-shored and has been QA'd and apparently is not getting any better so I am assuming they feel they need to permanently QA it on their end. I wonder, however, with the work going through so many layers, how much money is being saved. Still, even if they keep the QA people for only a year, they will probably have $10,000 more than they otherwise would have and could always go back to an MTSO after that - if there are still jobs available.
Every hospital is different and it just could be - Do not hold your breath
[ In Reply To ..]this hospital is smart enough to see the value in making sure they get good quality reports. I have heard of a few hospitals who brought the work back to the US and it is quite possible this one will also. I really don't see how they can be saving much money, as you said, with the work going through all the layers of QA. My hope is that there will be some big lawsuit somewhere that will bring this whole thing into the public eye and maybe things will change.
I am just hoping to be able to hang on for another 3 years and be done with it. I did so love my career even with the ups and downs, changing technology, etc., but it is time to get out while I still have some dignity left, LOL
My mother-in-law - sm
[ In Reply To ..]went to her urologist last week. He was dictating when she first arrived. They got to talking about that and she was telling him that her daughter-in-law does transcription and how we are losing our jobs to India. He said he and his partner pay 2 girls to do their transcription and will pay whatever it costs them to keep it here in the United States, that we need jobs here. She thanked him and said that I would very much appreciate what he is doing. Hopefully, more doctors will wake up.
I am a doctor now - FLMT
[ In Reply To ..]and I have said that as long as 1 transcriptionist still exists in the United States, I will employ them to do my transcription. It isn't always about profit; sometimes its about creating jobs. How can I expect my patients to pay me if they don't have jobs?
Thank you - nm
[ In Reply To ..]x.
Doctors who are aware and care - Mgc
[ In Reply To ..]When I went to my doc earlier this month, he said much the same thing. He had heard about our pay cuts and told me he'd do my dictation as straight typing instead of VR. He told me it just didn't seem right to do it any other way. I thanked him, too.
When it gets to the point that employees, along with the public, can't afford to buy what companies are selling, (and this applies to corporate greed more than anything else), maybe these corporations will wake up, maybe.
Thank you - Ang
[ In Reply To ..]Too bad more people do not see things the way you do.
A small ray of hope - Maggie
[ In Reply To ..]Kudos to the doctor using American talent, and kudos to your mother-in-law for thanking the doctor!
mother-in-law - Maggie
[ In Reply To ..]Oops! Above reply was in response to mother-in-law post.
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