Cobblestoning. The term generally brings to mind roughly paved roadways, not usually your throat! But, in the medical field, cobblestoning is a very widely used term meaning coarsely lumpy surface. You can have cobblestoning of the pharyngeal wall, which means you have streaks of lymphoid tissue on the pharynx (throat). The cobblestoning itself is not dangerous but the cause of the condition could be and should be treated. There is the word of the week, cobblestoning.
Archive for May, 2010
Medical Transcription Word of the Week
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Working at Home as a Medical Transcriptionist
Thursday, May 20th, 2010A while back we talked about the pros of working at home as an MT. Today we will talk about the cons.
This will be short! There really are not too many disadvantages to “being your own boss” as an MT at home. However, if you are a “people person” or cannot work without constant supervision then this career may not be for you. Working at home does not afford you the opportunity of the usual office chatter. If you do not have the self-discipline to work on your own then this may not be the path you want to travel. You need to be a self-starter, flexible, resourseful, and organized. This is not to say you cannot be an MT. You certainly can do this profession in a different environment such as a clinic or a hospital but we are just talking about being a successful medical transcriptionist in a home setting. So, not too many cons in this career option!
Medical Transcription English Rules
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Why is “well-nourished Caucasian woman” acceptable but “Caucasian woman is well-nourished” not? It is because it all depends where the noun is. If the hyphenated words are before the noun, hyphen is fine; after the noun, no hyphen. So, a “3 x 5-mm scar” is okay as well as “the scar is 3 x 5 mm” but “the scar is 3 x 5-mm” is not correct. One of the easier rules of this wonderful yet quite often complicated English language!
Typing Medical Transcription
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Punctuation is everything…
An English professor wrote: “A woman without her man is nothing”on the chalkboard and asked his students to punctuate it correctly.
All of the males in the class wrote, “A woman, without her man, is nothing.”
All the females in the class wrote: “A woman: without her, man is nothing.”
Does punctuation really matter? As this example proves, it really does! So many times we ask ourselves, should there be a comma there? When do I use a semicolon? Does it really matter if I leave that colon out? As you can see just in this one example alone, yes, punctuation is very important as a simple comma or colon or any other form of punctuation can change the meaning of the entire sentence.
To all you future MTs reading this, please take note!
Learning Medical Transcription
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Is it follow-up, followup, or follow up? How can eight simple letters be so confusing? This simple word, or two, is responsible for many periods of ponderation. First and foremost, in the transcription field we no longer use follow-up. So, with that option eliminated let’s move on to the remaining two choices.
Followup is a noun whereas follow up is an adjective. “The patient will schedule a followup” as opposed to “the patient will follow up”. One very easy way to remember which one to use is this simple rule: If you can put an “A” in front of the word then it would be followup; if not, then use follow up. One less thing to wonder about!
Learning Medical Transcription at Home
Sunday, May 9th, 2010Quite often I have been asked about the “do-not-use dangerous abbreviation” list. The worry by the JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) is that these abbreviations can be misread. While that certainly is a possibility, speaking from a professional medical transcription and proofreader standpoint I can assure you that the majority of these abbreviations are indeed used and used often.
The most common suspect culprit abbreviation is q.d. for every day or daily. This particular one is typed thousands of times a day so please do not be swayed by this “dangerous” list. If the provider/dictator you are typing for deems it in appropriate, well, their preference is the final say, but otherwise, please continue to use q.d. on a q.d. basis!
Working at Home as a Medical Transcriptionist
Sunday, May 9th, 2010One of the biggest concerns of new MTs is “what do I do if I can’t hear or understand the dictator?” There is also the question of what to do if the MT thinks the provider/dictator is wrong, such as dictating the right leg was injured and then later in the chart note stating it was the left leg.
When actually working as an MT you will have a “Daily Log”. This is where you will track the patient’s name and date of service. It is also where you will note things such as if you cannot understand a word, you heard the word but cannot find it to verify spelling (this happens a lot with medications), contradictory information, or anything else you question. Research and using your references is a huge part of being a skilled MT, but when you have exhausted all avenues then you would note it on the log. You will turn this log in with your files and your proofreader will take it from there.
It is always a good day when you can turn in a blank log!
Medical Transcription Training and Numbers
Saturday, May 1st, 2010Numbers, numbers, numbers. For such a seemingly simple digit or digits they sure can wreak havoc on the MT-in-training’s cranium. Old rules, new rules, providers preferences, AAMT rules. The information can be contradictory and confusing. The “old” AAMT rules still in effect to a certain extent are to spell out numbers up to 9, unless it refers to age, date, vitals, measurements, etc. This will all be changing soon as the industry is trying to standardize numbers and everything will be numeral. But even when that takes effect, the provider/dictator still has final say on his or her preference. Once again remember, to have a successful career in Medical Transcription you must be flexible and adaptable!