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Correcting redundant grammar and dinged by QA - Newbie

Posted: Aug 09, 2013

Okay, I just started working here and I've been trying to keep my reports perfect. When a doctor says "past medical history," I've been just typing "medical history" because isn't past and history together being redundant? I'm still on 100% QA and all my feedback has the "past" put back in. I'm not on a verbatim account, so shouldn't me correcting this be okay?

If I were doing QA on your work - SAM

[ In Reply To ..]
I'd get really frustrated putting the "past" back in and you continue to leave it out. Past medical history is a standard part of a medical report. IMO, you really should take the hint from you QA and keep the "past" in the heading.

I know this isn't.... - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
...what you want to hear, but, yes, "Past Medical History" is a very standard usage. If you believe that this is redundant language that needs to be edited, it would make me question how much experience you have as a medical transcriptionist....in the acute care setting, anyway.

Surely you've heard of "History of Present Illness," haven't you? That's using "history" and "present" together in the same heading.

The bottom line is that the word "history" in a medical context doesn't necessarily mean history in the same way we learned it in school, as in U.S. History.

HPI, disagree - SOSDD

[ In Reply To ..]
I have to disagree with your example of history of present illness as it is just as the heading implies, a history of the present illness (what has happened to lead up to this illness, its history)

I know my post wasn't very clear... - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with you that HPI is the history of what led up to the patient's current illness. What I meant is that in this context (History of Present Illness), it isn't exactly "history" as we sometimes think of it--things that happened in old or ancient times. It's more like the "story" of what's been happening with the patient's illness.

My intention was to point out that the OP's reasoning that "Past" and "History" were redundant might make one's head explode if you applied the same reasoning to the contrariness of "History" and "Present." (BTW, I'm just trying to be funny here.) :-)

Oh my... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Your name says it all. Unfortunately, it doesn't even sound like you have any form of training to be qualified for this job. Just sayin....

Agreed. - heres a little tip since you are new

[ In Reply To ..]
you are paid to type verbatim, not to reconstruct sentences and ESPECIALLY not headings. If I were the dictator and found someone was leaving out some of words because they didn't like they way they sounded or looked I would be way past p.o.'d

my philosophy - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Even if it isn't a verbatim account, I still treat it like one, not adding words or subtracting them, only to correct grammar, like dictates "there is 2 lesions" to "there are 2 lesions".

And along those same lines, if QA says to do something - one way, then you do it that way

[ In Reply To ..]
Quite frankly, unless it's just a truly egregious error, if my QA (who is very consistent) says to do something like "this" when I've always done it like "that", then I bloody well do it like "this." It's no skin off my nose and if that's what they want, they're the ones paying me, so that's what they get.

Period.

You just got hired and I have been here a - nada

[ In Reply To ..]
long time and have no work. Go figure.

No. Transcribe PAST MEDICAL HISTORY if that's what's dictated. - Des

[ In Reply To ..]
You're overthinking it and it's going to slow you down. Type what's dictated per client and employer specs. If you have a question about something that you want to change/correct, then ask. NEVER ASSUME IT'S OKAY TO MAKE CHANGES LIKE THAT, and if your boss is telling to do it a certain way, then DO IT THAT WAY.

Concur with the - above who say

[ In Reply To ..]
type it like you hear it. Learn early that this is one of those "choose your battles" moments. At this stage in my MT life, (30 plus years) frankly if they they want it typed backwards and say misspell every word, I really don't care anymore.

Also every "past" is 4 more characters for your piecemeal work. This is a common phrase and can add a few pennies to your check, pennies which you will come to appreciate.

Possible exception: I don't know if what you're typing is a "preferred heading" in Fluency or not, but I would say if it is and you want to mess with it, you are free to make that judgment call. This is probably more trouble than it's worth.

Why would you want to lose 5 characters? - 4 letters, 1 space

[ In Reply To ..]
I mean, my God, they are robbing us blind anyway, get all the characters in that you can.

pmh - pmh

[ In Reply To ..]
How could you have gotten thru MT school without learning that PMH is a commonly used and acceptable heading??? did you even go to MT school? I am seriously scratching my head over this one.

oh for pete's sake - ridiculous

[ In Reply To ..]
every doctor in America says past medical history and you're going to sit there and quibble over it, "no sir, doctor, past history is redundant." For pete's sake just get over yourself and type past medical history.

it's not grammar - it's usage - and you are overstepping

[ In Reply To ..]

Correcting redundant grammar and dinged by QA - Eyez

[ In Reply To ..]
Type it as dictated. It's an acceptable heading used in almost every medical report. If you start changing the headings then ASR learns from you and everyone else has to keep changing it back. Don't create more work for people.

what on earth, i think you are overthinking that one - mtr

[ In Reply To ..]
REALLY?
it is a wonder you ever get a line typed thinking in that manner

Grammar integrity FTW - Libellule

[ In Reply To ..]
Whether "past medical history" is redundant is a matter for debate. To the poster who suggested to always type everything word for word, I say be mindful and use your brain. The providers' words are not precious gold nuggets whose integrity needs to be protected at all costs. I always correct grammatical errors because I'm intelligent and educated, and I know, for example, the difference between "who" and "whom." There is a provider I transcribe who often says things such as "She has a friend who--make that, she has a friend WHOM..." I know that not to be correct. She may have a Ph.D., and I a mere B.A., but I know that "who" replaces the subject, not "whom." Dangling modifiers such as "Last week she reported that she went to.." should be avoided when clearly the context dictates that the correct form is "She reported that last week she went to..." Another provider consistently uses the word "subsequently," when clearly, based on context, she means "consequently." Consequently it is. I don't put my brain away in a drawer for the day while I'm working and act as though it's someone else's job to have good writing skills. Providers dictate commas to separate independent clauses (that's a no-no!. One poor, confused dear always says batty things such as "She is appearing (should be "She appears") her stated age. Stative verbs are not used in the present progressive. She often also says "She doesn't elicit any drugs." Utter nonsense. She means "she doesn't use any illicit drugs." Another provider constantly misuses the past perfect tense where the simple past tense is indicated. If you have a job that involves writing, you should know these things, or you have no business near a keyboard or pen.

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