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

question about HIPAA rules - jellybelly

Posted: Jan 13, 2010

Couldn't we just leave a note on any report with a cc to "please verify physician name for copy" which would then take the burden off of our shoulders?

Not a QA marker, but by doing Ctrl + Shift + Q.

I plan on leaving a note for anything that is questionable at all, ie., only last name given, unclear, cannot verify, whatever...

I am not going down with them. Fire me for it, then I will file for unemployment and win because they cannot fire you for a doctors mistake and then I might finally get the TAA benefits!

how is it our problem anyway - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Unless I put in Dr. Steinberg instead of Dr. Smith, I don't see how it is my problem.

If MD says copy to Dr. Smith, that is who gets a copy. If it is an error, how is that my problem?

It is our problem with the new twisted HIPPA laws. - Did you see the video?

[ In Reply To ..]
Video shows you could even be fined 2,500 for it.

I thought if we left any Q marker, it goes against us. Yep, MQ, darn if you do and darn if you don't. Been that way for yeeeeaaarrrrrs!!!!

It is prob only your problem IF there is more than one Dr. Smith - Kiki

[ In Reply To ..]
That's how I got busted once....Dictator said cc to Dr. "Smith" (for example) and I just put Dr. Smith; however there was another Dr. Smith (spelled differently)......

Either way, it's a bunch of bunk. They will try to put it all on our shoulders, but they really won't be able to UNLESS we do something as blatantly wrong as your example, and that really doesn't happen....it's usually a matter of the dictator not giving the full name, not spelling it, spelling it wrong, etc..

you could leave notes but..... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
the cc doctor is checked at facility and not automatically sent out. So, it really doesn't matter if you leave a note or not for it.

We are to leave markers anyway for unclear dictation. I don't see any problem with doing that, especially if it's something pertinent.

I don't worry that much about the HIPPA laws. We can only transcribe what is clearly dictated and we're not mind readers. These laws apply to the doctor just as much as they do to us. If they want perfect reports, then they need to dictate that way. Quit eating while dictating, learn to pronounce words correctly, and slowing down are the things the dictator needs to do to ensure more accurate reports.

I am glad you are not worried about HIPPA law. - I for one am FREAKED OUT!!!

[ In Reply To ..]
My husband wants me to contact a lawyer and our home insurance for the computer.

Video shows you can be fined AT LEAST 2,500. I am having a hard time working like this. Already called my local college and meeting with someone to go over the college credits I already have and trying to find out what other profession to get into.

Actually these laws apply - Maysie

[ In Reply To ..]
much, much more to the doctors than to you, the MT. There is in the law something called the Doctrine of the Captain of the Ship. Basically it means that the physician is the captain of the ship and therefore bears responsibility for workers who work for him, be they interns or MTs. I think MQ is trying to scare you. If this were to go to court (and yes, I did get a legal education in my prior life and have been to court many times, sometimes on cases involving this very doctrine), your counsel would likely invoke the Captain of the Ship doctrine to your advantage. From a legal POV, I think MQ has really overstepped its bounds. It would be interesting if you could find out who MQ's legal counsel is and call them for a legal opinion. It would also be interesting to see what the outcome would be of a test case in court.

fines - $$$

[ In Reply To ..]
So who gets the fine money? Can they garnish our wages? Would we be indentured servants...

Did it ever occur to you - Maysie

[ In Reply To ..]
that maybe MQ is TRYING to scare you guys into quitting? Then they could move all of their work over to India and pay those poor folks three rupees a day and they would be rid of these expensive (to them) American MTs. This whole thing just does not pass the smell test.

So, who made the video HIPPA or MQ? - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
I see people are saying MQ is just trying to scare us, but I thought this was a video coming from HIPPA.

fines - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
First of all, HIPPA is not new. We have been having to comply with these laws for many years. Second, one would have to make an eroneous error that caused actual harm to the patient.

We are transcribing what has already been done and/or what has been recommended to be done. If that dictation contains any error, we are not at fault - ZERO. That's the bottom line here.

If we question something in the dictation, then leave a marker for QA. By doing that, you absolve yourself from any responsiblity for it.

If QA/MME can't figure out a marker for sure 100%, then leave a blank to absolve your responsibility for it.

This then puts all the responbility onto the medical facility to figure it out correctly.

Don't get overly worked up about these new laws. Just do your job and cover your butt if questions.

Similar Messages:

Oct 29, 2009

Hi, I need a quick check on HIPAA rules. With respect to the health care debate, I want to write to my senator, etc., about a situation with a patient I transcribed on. The only info. I intend to give is that the patient was a: Russian immigrant, on welfare and receiving Medicaid benefits--when he should not have. He and his "sponsor(s)" was responsible for his care and living expenses. Further, I transcribed a note in which the doctor said that this patient wanted to re-sched ...

Oct 08, 2013

When a consultant's office calls the referred patient, is that office allowed to say the name of their office? Ex: Got a call from a GI office for my husband. The woman gave her first name and said she needed his medical hx before she could schedule an appointment. I asked what office she was from, and she said she couldn't say because of HIPAA but that it was a referral from his PCP. Is it true that because of HIPAA we can't even know who's ...

Jun 15, 2012

I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge in regard to HIPAA violations and whether certain rules apply only in certain circumstances. I had a workers comp claim and had my IME closing exam in March. There were problems - the doctor assumed that he knew it all, didn't take any history from me and then rushed me through the exam and closed my claim. I wasn't happy with the way the exam was conducted, and then on reading my exam report I found a number of mistakes, so ...

Sep 02, 2013

and noticed it was talking about a breach. This is something that happened the other day and under the new law, am I supposed to report a scenerio like this? I had a physician who told me this patient's social security number. There is no place to include that on their report, nor has it ever been with this particular company so I just heard and that was it. Would I be, as a business associate soon to be, required to inform someone about this, like ratting on this physician? ...

Oct 31, 2010

Is not-too-distant future hyphenated? Thanks ...

Oct 03, 2011

I had always thought that the dictator received an automatic copy but in checking the MQ rules/standards, I don't see this. Does anyone know for sure? Should we copy the dictator if requested? ...

Aug 14, 2012

Does anybody else get emails of updated account specs or just in general about how this is now changing in the MT world and things such as hyphens are being phased out, among other changes to make the document "more readable". I wonder...all these changes to how we are supposed to do our jobs, yet the only changes to what we are paid to do our job is a negative with pays dropping instead of going up. I say it here and I can say it so many times, if somebody can sit in an office and c ...

Dec 23, 2013

used to be when we ran out of work we could chose to make up time or take PTO, this was even at Thanksgiving. Now we get the email that after waiting 6 mins some of you are taking PTO, but now we can't do this. Now we are supposed to flex. So just because the "lead" lets toooooo many people off I'm supposed to just keep checking and checking, that's great, i'll just do that after cooking our dinner and watching the kids open gifts and if I get work it'l ...

Mar 06, 2014

I don't know what the AAMT book of style does with regards to typing out numbers such as in this sentence: I provided this patient and her 2 daughters with education regarding her diagnosis and treatment options. Would you use numerals for "2" daughters in this case or would you type out "two"??? ...

Aug 31, 2014

When I think about all the things we have to do, we really are more like administrative assistants than transcriptionists. We have so much to do. Make sure you put DOS, if given. Make sure you list, or don't like as per client specs, unless dictator requests ?? Go by client profile or DSQ standard. Which one is it this day? Okay, NOW okay to use q.h.s., so if put q.h.s. QA marks over it and still puts bedtime. Okay to use cc instead of m ...

May 11, 2010

Okay, I got a ding today from my extremely sweet and helpful QATL. It seems I did not send as a cc a requesting physician dictated. I looked at the report and I did enter the requesting physician in the ADT and the body of the report. I thought if they did not specifically request a cc be sent, then you did not. Am I wrong? Old dog needs help. Also, I thought if the Req Physician was in the ADT it automatically received a carbon copy.. Hmmm.. ...

May 08, 2011

D-dimer is negative, making a pulmonary embolus unlikely by _______rules? s/l Kline, Klein, Cline rules?? ...

Oct 24, 2011

There are some things that don't make sense to me in regard to certain rules for companies. At my company, when you send something to QA, you have to put a blank and the number where it is, but if we think something "sounds" like something we cannot put that in because the QA person could hear what we are hearing and not really hear what is being said. Now, what in the heck is VR then? Sometimes when you see text presented on screen it may sound like what you are seeing.&n ...

Jul 24, 2013

Our department was recently "onboarded" by a transcription service where we are now paid by the line. We have had several days where we had "mandatory OT" where the boss would email and tell everyone they needed to do 1.5 hours of OT that day. In my state, VT, the law says if you are required to work over 8 hours in a day you have to be paid OT pay. Does anyone know how this works for pay-by-line work? I know many of the practices of this company are questionable and ...

Oct 11, 2013

Number rules. I've been doing this a long time...but I just want to ask the group. If there are no account-specific rules, is this sentence correct? "He has had 5 episodes since 08/10/2001." I think I'm correct, at least this is how I've been doing it. What does the new BOS say? I quit MQ/MM and don't have the current edition. Thanks ...

Sep 10, 2014

I know that according to AAMT we are not supposed to put abbreviations in the Impression/Diagnoses sections, but does that include ALL abbreviations? Or just ones pertaining to diseases? For instance, are we supposed to spell out MRI in the impression? Or just diseases, like PUD or COPD? I'm a bit confused because I put "MRI" in the impression and QA left that as is, but I also put "PT" and they expanded it out to "physical therapy." Does anyone know? Thanks in a ...

Dec 20, 2014

The hopeful folks....did you forget we have not even started with the new guidelines by which our work will be audited at a yet unspecified date? You may be feeling all warm and comfy right now with your 99.9% to 100% reviews. I would not be counting on that. I've had plenty of those, too, and regularly achieved the quarterly bonus up until recently. So, I work 25 hours, and they audited 1 report only with 1 error and I am at a tad over 98%. Meanwhile, I pended 4 jobs and that ...

Feb 20, 2015

Is there anyone available to us for non-emergency questions? If we have a BOS question or a verbatim issue, is there anyone there for us? (Yes, I received that email earlier in the week to not bother anyone. But really??) ...

Feb 23, 2010

Does anyone know the rules on how many jobs you're allowed to abandon or break from?? Thanks. ...

Sep 14, 2010

Can someone tell me what are the latest rules on typing numbers? Do you type 3rd or third? Thank you!! ...

Oct 13, 2010

For example, if the doctor says platelets 277, then that's why you type. Later on down the road, knock points off my score for typing 277, claiming that we are supposed to type 277,000. Why does stuff like this ALWAYS seem to happen? Then I get points off my score because two different QAs are telling me 2 different things. I can't take this anymore. The last 3 jobs I have had were like this. I'm sick of getting yelled at and points taken off ...

May 20, 2011

It is obvious that those in charge have NEVER typed a word and have no idea what transcription is all about. They need to go on Undercover Boss and spend one day at the computer and listen to what we listen to and then tell me we need to be 99% accurate. What a joke! ...

Dec 30, 2012

Don't you just love the communication at Nuance? Just received an Email regarding new QA rules (new hoops to jump through for bonus), so disgusted I just deleted the message. Bringing the E5 *in line with the rest of NTS*? I don't want to know how much better and faster we are all supposed to be with WHATEVER technology you push out.... I just wanta say that some of you people in management had better learn to transcribe. And WTH is the learning module "Speak Hawaiian"....what ...

Aug 07, 2013

Is there a site or forum somewhere that updates on new grammar and punctuation rules since they change from time to time? ...

Oct 08, 2013

Hello, We are preparing to switch to editing and are working on a fair guidelines for the MTs. What are the industry standards of expections for things such as correcting if a dictator says something like "laboratory studies" and the draft comes through as "laboratory data" - do you correct it or leave it? What about things like numbers that begin a sentence? Correct or let it go? Any advice you can give would be appreciated. ...

Jan 19, 2010

I am currently looking for a new online job. I have been doing medical transcription for nine years now but work for a small hospital. I do not currently have, nor does my hospital require, the AAMT book of style to be the set rules for our transcription department. We still use q.h.s. etc. I recently had a job interview but blew it because the company requires their MTs to know the latest AAMT book of style front and back. Is this a big deal to know this book word for word? Wonderin ...

Feb 04, 2011

My husband went in to have blood tests done for a new blood pressure medication he is on and when he left the house to get an RX filled, the nurse from the doctor's office called to tell him the results of his blood tests. Out of curiosity (testing the HIPAA thing), I asked her if his potassium level was okay and SHE TOLD ME that all his levels were fine except blood sugar was a little high! Not only that, I then asked her what new medication had been prescribed and SHE TOLD ME THAT ALSO! M ...

Nov 23, 2012

I failed to cc a physician they said so I got a 3.0 deduction on a dictation. First one I have ever got. I haven't got an email or anything yet. I just saw it on one of my corrections. I haven't gotten anything from FIESA yet. ...

Jan 03, 2010

Has anyone done the HIPAA training? How was the test? ...

Jan 10, 2010

Could some kindly let me know where the HIPAA test is located in MQCentral. Thanks! ...