My present employer has partnered with [EMR service] to facilitate the smooth flow of work from the doctors to them, with a good distribution of accounts to the several MTs (including me), back to QA, then delivered to the clients, without worrying about filing and archiving. The [EMR service] prives those services; my employer only worries about transcription per se and anything related to it: hiring MTs, assisting and communicating with her MTs.
The dictation files can be pulled in by the MTs, and work on them only while online. I (MT) have no way (or have not found a way and not planning to) to store the dictation files in my computer to work on it offline. When the MT does not work on those files right away, the company has the option to pull them back in for the others to transcribe. This way, TAT is ensured, and contingency measures are taken care of in case an MT suddenly has an emergency. One MT has 6-8 accounts to transcribe, but there are 2-3 MTs assigned to a particular account, in case an MT goes on vacation or is sick. Good contingency measure.
I love using the [software]in that templates are already there, dictator-specific, as prepared by my employer and, of course, approved by the client. (Client has the option to type in the template themselves or just dictate it so the MT can choose from the different templates.) MT has the option to check demographic data from the database or enter those as dictated. Employer builds a database of doctors and associates to facilitate easy CCing of reports, and if there are new associates to add, MT can add that to the database; no need to look for and to enter addresses and all everytime that associate comes in for CCs. Autotext features enables MT to enter such codes as "tpic" to mean "The patient is coming in," or the code "rsmb" as "I reinforced multi-self breast examination, daily calcium needs, and regular exercise," so that by building up my autotext during my initial weeks for such "canned" (de-kahon) sentences/reports/paragraphs will eventually maximize my production and the overall production of the company. The [software] also has the Spellchecker, which not only has a central database like the addresses of the associates, but an MT can also add a new term/acronym/abbreviation there . Before final submission/uploading for QA, spellchecker is run again automatically. Comment box is separate. When empty, the QA is notified as such, and when there are comments, QAs also are automatically notified.
I can also check my lines transcribed or the actual # of lines delivered, any time! I can check from and to any point in time. The counting is done automatically. In my first week of transcribing using this system, my one-week production was 2187, of which 2032 were delivered. It is so motivating to keep track of how I am improving daily with my line count. My productivity from day 1 jumped from 200/day to 500/day on day 5, and only because I kept adding doctors/accounts to my list, from an initial 3 dictators to 11, and I guess that is enough to keep me busy during the day (I won't have to waste time waiting for dictations). As soon as the doctor start their day and start seeing patients, they dictate right away, I get the files right away and work on them one by one and check them back in, usually within 20 minutes for a 1-2 minute dictation.
I am about to enter my second week, and without additional doctors to get used to and to build my autotext for, I am foreseeing a jump in my productivity, hopefully to at least double my initial production.
From the MT's point of view, I love using this [software]. It is soooo user-friendly. It is easy to use, and best of all, my employer DID NOT REQUIRE ME TO BUY THE SOFTWARE nor to have high-speed internet connection ([EMR service feaures are sooo flexible!). When I was looking for a new company to work for, most of them required their MTs to purchase their software, which is BS, if you ask me. Companies save a lot already on overhead costs, not having to provide a working environment with computers and telephones/internet lines having shouldered by the MT themselves. Some even ask the MTs to purchase their own pedal and/or lease their computer! Well, I certainly don't need additional computers. We have a total of 4 computers at home now! Almost one for each member of the family. We are just saving money or wait for some "donations of parts" to build another one. We always have a use for thrown away keyboard, modem, CPU, etc. My hubby only buys the second-to-the-latest computer parts that are critical for upgrades like the motherboard, DVD player/burner, video card and audio card, etc. So I don't really need unnecessary expenses for those.
I cannot speak for the company/QA and the client itself, but I can imagine how efficient and simple the system is, given that this [EMR service] can configure several dictation hardware for the client's end, who have the option to enter the data themselves or just dictate. If they just dictate, which they usually prefer, MTs have work to do. Filing is made easy and taken care of by the [EMR service], not on the shoulders of the MT company nor the client, and I am pretty sure a back-up system has been addressed by as well.
I can only think that if I do get enough experience as an MT, I might embark on my own MT business and use the same [EMR servcice] as well, or, I am exploring with my employer the possibility of marketing for my company, offering this service to the doctors around here in my state, getting commission (say 1%) for all clients I introduce to the company, and taking direct responsibility for doing QA on these accounts and direct personalized communication with the clients to keep them in our client database and in my account.
If I also find the motivation to practice here myself (these cases I am typing just gives me some kind of high that I feel like I am working as a doctor myself! Reminds me of those days when I used to manage patients. It also gives me the motivation I need to review things that might be useful for the USMLE so I just might take up those tests to be licensed.), then I am pretty sure that when I do practise here as a doctor, I will use this [EMR service]for my dictations and even recommend it to others.
So I'd say, a lot of headaches will be taken care of if an MTSO will go for this [EMR services]. Your focus, as an MTSO, will be on the transcription itself. The [EMR service] takes care of everything else. My employer even told me that this [EMR service] sometimes add to their pool of clients (she mentioned that to me when I asked about the possibility of incentives for marketing for new clients). Doesn't that sound too good to be true?
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