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

Do I need Dictaphone for Own Accounts? - me

Posted: Jan 07, 2013

I am a work-at-home MT with such sporadic work through a small MTSO that I am applying everywhere for an in-house anything job. I live in a very large metro with lots of doctor offices and law offices. I am considering advertising my independent transcription services. Can I have them e-mail me a sound file or have them upload the sound file to Dropbox and then just e-mail them the completed Word file back or upload that file to a shared Dropbox? It seems so simple, but I read on here on a different post that someone needs a Dictaphone/thousand dollar software to get started and have my own clients. Is this true? It seems like it would be so simple. Can I advertise my services to various offices and use the e-mail/Dropbox method I mentioned?

IC here - have not used Dictaphone

[ In Reply To ..]
since the 90's.

You can use something as simple and cheap as MyDocsOnline, which is basically cloud storage that is only accessed by you and your clients.

Is that what you use? Thanks for Replying - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Yes, I use it. - IC (nm)

[ In Reply To ..]
It's incredibly simple, which the doctors appreciate.

http://www.mydocsonline.com/

Also, for rates... - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm thinking $1.25 per audio minute or 10/12 cents per 65-character line.

Info for own accounts - me

[ In Reply To ..]
To use a C-phone to access dictation, you would need a C-phone compatible dictation system as well, which I used to have a DVI (sound was fabulous). I now have a DigiTel dictation system. You will also need to transmit reports that are secure and HIPAA-compliant.

You would either need to use a service and pay per minute of dictation or purchase your own dictation system and/or FTP and provide digital recorders. Dictation systems nowadays only cost anywhere from $2000 to $5000 for a small 4-port system (low-end), but you will have to replace this about every 2 years or so. You would need dedicated phone lines for this with hunt numbers, so the physicians never get a busy signal. The sound quality is a lot better than using recorders, and all the physicians I know do not like carrying these around or dictating into a computer.

I have a 4-port system with landlines, and my monthly overhead is about $7000, including a dedicated fax line.

Hope this helps.

$7000 a month??? - ICManiac

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't see how you could handle the transcription by yourself to support $7000 overhead. I would never go above 20% expense to income ratio (ex income is $100, expense $20). Based on that formula, I would have to be earning close to half a millon dollars a MONTH to afford $7000 a month overhead.

I am including link for a company called Simple Dictation. You can get started at $125 a month that includes phone call in service, a drop box, the production software and HIPAA compliant file sharing. The company is new, but the software is Van Joe's older products, formerly the MP-Pen line (which I use).

I think sharing that your overhead is $7000 is not going to encourage anyone to even attempt starting out. The need for multi-dictation phone lines is on its way out with newer technology, lower costs.

Thank You - MT (No e-mails please)

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much for posting this. I am the original poster, and I was suuuuper discouraged when I read the $7000 a month cost. $125 is definitely something I can handle. Thank you for posting this alternative. I am back to brainstorming about obtaining my own accounts. I really appreciate it.

Thanks so very much! sm - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I will look into that. Yes, the $7000 per month does not even include the cost of my work computer and technical support. However, it does include the medical policy, just us 2 for now, and office rent. It is definitely too high, need to shave expenses, but I cannot bear to give up my great-sounding land lines.

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

Dropbox - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I had several physicians complain about Dropbox, as they did not like all the downloaded stuff on their computers. FTP is good. Some dictation systems work in conjunction with FTP software, but you would have to rent folders for each client and/or transcriptionist.

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