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With all that you have to get done, it’s okay to ask for help.

As a journalist/writer, when you have a project that has been assigned, there are so many steps to get through to be able to develop the perfect piece, the perfect end-product, that it’s a wonder you have enough time in the day to even think about them all.

There are phone calls to make.  Interviews to set up and then to hold.  Outlines to write, and even the final article/chapter/paper to complete.  Possibly even photos to choose. Editors to deal with.  The list goes on and on.  All the while, juggling the business of life that is always there, and quite frankly more important that any article, book, paper you will ever write – your family.

So when you can, it’s nice to know it’s okay to ask for help.  Help that will give you that hour, hours, or even days to handle the other aspects of your project and the important parts of your life.  And when you can find that help, and it’s within your budget, that is all the more reason to consider asking for it.

CLK Transcription understands the needs of the journalist.  We understand their deadlines and we understand their budgets.  We have been fortunate to be able to assist many with their audio/video transcription and we have grown to understand that their audio is a valuable tool in their work, but that the transcription of it is time-consuming and cumbersome for them to handle on their own.  It, quite frankly, can interfere with the completing the project itself and absolutely interrupts the family time they could have if they just didn’t have to do it themselves.

The good news is THEY DONT!

CLK Transcription can handle their audio/visual transcription and develop a quality document, recording the entire interview and return it to them in most cases within 24 hours or less.  Now they can get on with the project and get on with their enjoyment of a little bit of family time.  We even transcribe voice mail.  Yes, many can get that service for free, but are the messages usable, understandable, or delivered timely?  If it’s free, do you get what you pay for?

We are able to work with any downloadable audio, and yes, we work with cassettes, DVDs and CDs.  We even convert white paper to an electronic document.  And if you have an audio you want to transcribe yourself, but just need it converted to a different medium – we can do that too!  We even offer an FTP site for those who need the transferability of their files to others.  All at a cost that fits within your budget.

So, when you have a project and you need a little or a lot of help with the transcription, why not find out how we can assist you with that?  You may just find the time and money you have been looking for.

We are an email away from starting your project today and having it back to you tomorrow.  We are US owned and operated and never send anything off shore. We offer a confidentiality agreement to every client.  We never use speech recognition, and every project is proofread before delivery.

Additional discounts are available for any educational project, doctoral, IEPs, etc.

Contact me for details.  Carollee@clktranscription.com

http://www.clktranscription.com

Need a weekend warrior for your audio transcription? Dissertations, interviews, IEPs, meetings, and more. We can do that!

Many of us see the weekend as a relaxation period, or at least we would like to.  Most times however, after all our professional responsibilities are complete, we need to use the weekend as our catch up time for household chores and personal responsibilities and needs.

We use this time to do our household chores that get pushed aside during our hectic workweek.  We look at Friday night as our date night, and a time to chill with friends.  The weekend is our time to spend with family and friends we do not have time to catch up with during the workweek.

Then of course there are the special weekends.  Those that have things like the Super Bowl, weddings, reunions, and other special functions that we want to enjoy.  Of course, lately, many of us need the weekend to clean up after all the snowfall of late.

 

CLK Transcription appreciates your need and desire to enjoy the weekend and be free of the “homework” that many journalists and students and other busy professionals find is carried over to the weekend.  We never close.

 

If you have audio files or hard copy conversions that you find yourself working on during those precious weekend hours, why not check out a transcription company to assist you with them.

Here at CLK Transcription, we have helped hundreds of journalists, educators, students, physicians, and other professionals by working through the weekend so they don’t have to.

We can turn around your audio, usually within 12 to 24 hours and let you enjoy your weekend and get done those other items on your to-do list.

Whether it is your dissertation audios, interview audios, patient records, meeting minutes, round table discussions, IEPs, or things like a conversion of your diary to an electronic copy – we can do that!  Whether you are a ghost writer, journalist, publisher, student, parent, educator, physician, or other professional, we have the experience you need to give you the quality you demand.

We have experience with all ranges of topics – from banking and brokerage, entertainment, technical and obscure, health and beauty, family life, to all specialties of medicine and more.

We also have many ways to save!  Our prices are already below the national norm, but we like to work with our clients to meet their other demands – budgetary.

We offer educational discounts for those with projects focused on furthering their education or for the parents and educators dealing with IEPs or other educational material.  We offer referrals discounts to our existing clients who make referrals of our services, and extend a referral discount to new clients who connect with us on Twitter or FB.

 

So, when you face a weekend with “homework” and are trying to fit in all those other personal items that are just as important – why not let us assist you with your transcription needs?

 

There is no minimum, no contract, and always a confidentiality agreement for EVERY client.

 

Find out what hundreds of others have discovered – CLK Transcription can save you time and money.  Most importantly – we love what we do!

 

http://www.clktranscription.com

 

 

 

Thinking about transcribing your own audio/video? Why not let us handle that for you and save you time and money?

When journalists, authors, doctors, etcetera, begin to think about having their audio/video transcribed, the first thought is probably cost. Many attempt to do the work themselves, or hire in-house staff to do the transcription.

When hiring an in-house staff, you have to consider hourly pay, benefits, and keeping that person busy with “busy work” when no transcription work is available for them to handle. They have to consider days off, sick time, vacation…not just the cost, but who handles the work when their “transcriptionist” is not around?

If you are handling the transcription task yourself, I have to ask you – how much is your time worth? How long does it take you to transcribe the audio? What does it breakdown to in terms of hourly wage? Are there other things you would rather be doing? Interviewing another person? Organizing the data for your article/book? Managing other tasks? Taking time out to do personal chores?

For those who hold weekly, monthly or annual meetings or conferences – having those events recorded and then transcribed allows you to share this information with more than those who have been able to attend the function personally. Sure you can share the video, but what happens when other’s busy schedule precludes them from sitting and watching a video?

Having the transcript allows them the freedom to move around and tackle their day, and you the knowledge that they have a true concept of what occurred and something they, and yourself, can refer back to when necessary. How many times have you wished you could replay a meeting for what was said?

For the educator, or those seeking higher levels of education – your class audio can be transcribed for sharing as well. Those interviews and other audio developed for your paper can be transcribed for reference.

CLK Transcription offers a discount for educators and students alike. We feel education is THE most important thing a person can have, and love the opportunity to help you reach your goals. We have been proud to handle transcripts for professors or students of UCLA, Bloomsburg University, Wilkes Barre University, King’s College, Illinois State University, Minnesota State University, Wisconsin State University, Harvard University, and others.

Having a transcription service handle your audio/video projects allows the freedom to do what it is you must do to meet your TAT. Freedom to continue your other work to bring the project together. Freedom to share information in a manner that fits everyone’s schedule. Freedom to develop the best end-result you possibly can, without the stress, time or money you may have been spending in the past.

A transcription service can be the cost-effective and cost-efficient tool that you are looking for to allow you more time to get your project done, to share important information, or just to get your personal chores tended to.

When using CLK Transcription Service, you only pay for the audio/video assigned. No sick time, no vacation time, and certainly no overtime or benefits. We have individuals who have special skills to research terms and information, skilled in listening and hearing the most difficult audio and transforming it into a quality transcript.

CLK Transcription can handle multiple audio, in varying lengths, and can meet or surpass your expected TAT in most, if not all, cases. We have transcriptionists all across the United States and we never offshore, EVER. We also never use speech recognition. We feel the nuances of your audio deserve the extra care given by a human ear and human hands.

CLK Transcription has been recommended by the best journalists and by many of the Universities in the country, as well as large publishing companies and other professional corporations – from the medical research industry to the business and finance industry. We also have handled many motivational and teaching seminars by many of the world’s most well-known speakers and coaches. We have handled files as large as multi-day conferences and seminars to the few minute audio of a journalist, on a wide variety of topics. Yes, we even do voice mail transcription giving you the freedom to step away and know your important calls will never be missed again. We have clients all over the world, and have transcribed many, many ESL audio as well. We love what we do and take the time to do it right – for YOU!

Check out our recommendations today at http://www.linkedin.com/in/clktranscription and find out what CLK Transcription can do for you. Let us transcribe your next audio/video and show you what you have been missing. It may just be the time and money you have been looking for!

I believe we can be, so much so that I stake my name on it.

We also love to retweet our favorite journalists and organizations tweets to share your wonderful ideas and projects with others. Join us @CLK_Shortcake or on Facebook – look for CarolLee Streeter Kidd or CLK Transcription. Join us! We would love to have you as part of our team!

CarolLee Kidd

President/Owner

CLK Transcription, Inc.

Speaking well and spreading some love for NCHSoftware.com (@nchsoftware)- they truly do have something for everyone!

They say if someone has a problem with you, they will repeat it over and over again, but if they like you, they usually will make referrals when asked, but never just converse about a company as they do with a complaint.  I am hoping to change that with a wonderful company that I have had the opportunity to deal with for over 9 years.

NCHsoftware.com which offers sound recording, playback, conversion, and editing programs.  Along with the programs, they have an awesome team of tech staff to help when that rare (believe me rare) glitch occurs with the programs.  They don’t stop thee, they have many programs for other disciplines, but since transcription is what I do, I will speak only to that – for now.

As many transcriptionists starting out in this business soon learn, there is a direct and constant need for quality programs such as the express scribe player that NCH offers.  The wonderful thing about Express Scribe, is that there is a free program that serves our purposes almost 100 percent.  And being able to say “yes, I can handle the audio medium” allows the transcriptionist to take on projects without having to lay out even more money and learn new programs just to handle a file or two – and NCH has a converter too.  Now they don’t convert everything, but a vast majority of the mediums can be converted using Switch – again a free program can be used with a premium upgrade if needed.

I think the fact that as the transcriptionist field is growing in demand, the idea that there is a company that caters to us, with affordable and quality products is outstanding.

As a transcription company owner, I am often asked, “can you do this” or “can you do that” with audio files.  I rarely have to say no because I have some wonderful software from NCHsoftware.com that allows me to record, playback, convert and even enhance audio files so that I can do my job in a much more efficient and effective manner, even with the difficult audio.  And when I can do my job that easily, I don’t have to forward a cost on to my clients, nor do I have to worry about meeting their deadline due to the difficulty of the audio.

I refer all of my independent contractors, who are fresh out of school for this wonderful profession to NCH to get setup without having to put out even more money, over and above the thousands they just spent on education and training.  In this economy, every dollar counts.

Whether you are a student, business owner, journalist, musician, transcriptionist, or anyone who uses or works with audio files at all, check out NCHsoftware.com – I bet they have something there for you as well.  Audio, telephony, and business software – http://www.nchsoftware.com/software/index.html

I follow them on Twitter @nchsoftware.

http://www.clktranscription.com

As busy as we get, don’t forget to take time to enjoy your friends.

With the holidays approaching, I find myself finally taking time to check in with friends and acquaintances that I have neglected over the past few months.  I can come up with many excuses for the neglect – too busy with work, too many personal matters, and yes, too lazy.  Sure I think about these people often, and may send a cute e-mail or check up with them on Facebook or Twitter or other social media outlets, but never really take the time to stop and see how they are doing through actual conversation, even if electronic.

For some, so much time has gone by that there is an awkwardness to the thought of popping into their holiday as if we never had time apart, but I know I am not alone in thinking this is the time to do it.  I know this because I get those same holiday greetings.

Now, I am not knocking the use of social media or the web in any sense to keep track and keep up of the people in my life when time and situations make it difficult to meet up and catch up on all around us.  Sometimes just peeking into the world of our friends is all we can do.  I have reconnected with many of my childhood friends and even long-lost family members via social media, but that once a week (or couple of months) check of their status does not replace the contact one should make personally with those they care about.

After a particularly strange and challenging year,I have finally gotten off my rump to begin the holiday greetings and have found even more so how important staying in touch is when we think we have no time to do so.

After about four months of just checking statuses and profile pictures, I went to say hello and happy holidays to someone who I had done business with in the past and had maintained, or I thought maintained, a friendly relationship with over the past 5 years.  I was saddened to see that this very personable, caring and friendly person had passed away four months ago.  I was shocked.  I went back through my last e-mails to her and found that yes, it had been that long since I “spoke” with her, congratulating her on the new baby and impending wedding.  Now she was gone, and I didn’t even know it until four months had gone by.

The holidays usually bring out the best in people and the desire to check in on our friendships and acquaintances and even business professionals we deal with.  This year I am reminded that if we don’t make everyday a holiday, we may just miss out on some really important things that are going on with the very important people in our lives.

So I will enjoy the holidays in the traditions that I have come to follow, but I will work to make every day a holiday and make a better effort to stay in touch with those who are important to me.  That will be the gift I give myself this year.

Lastly, it has been tradition for me to have bells on Christmas for those who I have known that have become angels in my life, and according to Clarence, ringing the bells will give an angel their wings.  So this year, unfortunately, I have a few angels I have to be sure to give their wings.

You will be missed:  Saydie, Florence, and Barbara.  Friend, coworker, confidant.  The bells are ringing for each of you.

Your regular project is just as important to us as it is to you! Don’t have your TAT pushed aside because someone else has a “priority”!

Here at CLK Transcription, we try to treat every client as our only client when it comes to meeting their turn around demands.  Many of our clients know each other and have referred each other to us, and we know keeping one happy, means keeps them all happy.

People have often said, “when someone likes you they will repeat it, but if they do not like you they will repeat it over and over again.”

We want to change all that.  We want to have CLK repeated over and over again because we assisted in your transcription needs and never missed a beat with another project on our plate.  We love hearing “you rock” when we give our clients with the quality they demand at a cost they can afford, all in a timely manner that lets them get their job done in a smooth manner.

The independent contractors I work with are just as important as the clients I have.  Without them doing their absolute best and being happy with me assigning them work, I could not offer the services I offer to the clients we handle audio for.

In working for other companies, I had heard many times “that project can wait” or “just load up that IC, she’s a workhorse” and I cringe when I think about a client’s TAT being brushed aside, or a IC being so overworked that she wears herself out.

In doing the best job possible, we all have our limits.  Clients cannot be overburdened with stress wondering if their work will be completed on time and the transcriptionist cannot be so overworked that she rushes or even worse, drops the ball all together and misses deadlines herself.

Many times we receive STAT or priority files from a client.  We handle them as we would any other, but we have some wonderful transcriptionists that are available just for those types of files, so that whether we received one or 20 files in a day, your priority is handled without pushing someone else aside, and without stressing the transcriptionist with an unreal deadline herself.  Every client’s files remain active.

Handling the work this way allows every file we receive today to be returned today or within 24 hours, meeting your TAT and allowing the transcriptionists time for their own personal responsibilities as well.

Yes, there are times when the larger projects come, multi-hour, multi-speaker interviews, conferences, and seminars that take us a bit longer, but even in those cases you can usually start seeing a return of part of the project within 24 hours and a completion within 3 days, depending on the size.

Unfortunately, we have had to turn away projects from some of our most prized clients because of their TAT and our workload when they contact us with a multi-hour project due in a few days, but even those clients come back.  Why?  Because I won’t add to their stress by saying I can handle it and then blow their TAT when I know I can’t.

Thankfully, those exceptions are few and far between.  My clients with those larger projects allow me time to plan and get ready for them by giving me a heads up to expect those files.  Most times a day’s notice is all it takes.

So when other companies say they can handle your large project, ask them not only if they have the transcriptionists on duty to handle it, but how much work gets pushed aside that belongs to your friends and colleagues in order to handle yours?  Because the next time they have a larger project, it could be you that’s pushed aside.

We love transcription. It’s not just what we do – it’s who we are!

CLK Transcription, Inc comes highly recommended by some of the most amazing journalists, ghost writers, authors, blog radio and webinar hosts, and corporate companies in the world.  Let us show you why.  Allow us to help you with your transcription needs and make you a part of our family too!

Check us out on:

Twitter = @CLK_Shortcake
Facebook = http://www.facebook.com/people/CarolLee-Streeter-Kidd/1234760098

and

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tobyhanna-PA/CLK-Transcription-Inc/100158850050342
LinkedIn = http://www.linkedin.com/in/clktranscription

Proofreading 101

As a transcriptionist it is important to proof every word, punctuation mark and meaning intended in the words.

It is not just okay to type what you hear and press send to the client.  A proper spell check and grammar check must be run. A thorough proofreading is an absolute must.

You must then re-read the document to ensure those words that would never be found in a spell check if improperly used are caught.

Example:

The glasses are in the cup board. – OR – The glasses are in the cupboard.

It is because of that hat I have a headache.  – OR – It is because of that, that I have a headache.

You have to re-read the report to ensure that the sentences are punctuated properly.

Example:

Did you know that I was going to drive my car then I snapped.  My fingers in the car door.  – OR – Did you know I was going to drive my car, and then I snapped my fingers in the car door.

Also, you have to make sure that the sentence is structured properly.

Example:

All right well.  I will keep it quick. –  OR – All right.  Well, I will keep it quick.

That’s right you were talking about the Plavix.  Being a good drug for coagulation, Atenolol works for blood pressure too? – OR – That’s right.  You were talking about Plavix being a good drug for coagulation.  Atenolol works for blood pressure too?

You have to be sure the words you use are the words actually spoken.

Example:

The patient has hypotension.  – OR – The patient has hypertension.

There are a lot of cleaning sulfates bad for the environment.  – OR – There are a lot of cleaning solvents bad for the environment.

Some tips and tricks:

Type what you hear.

Once complete, re-read the finished product while listening to the audio again.

Re-read the document without listening to the audio.

Do the transcribed words make sense?  Does it read as smoothly as possible?

Some people find that reading the document backward will allow them to catch some errors.

Keep in mind, not everyone speaks with proper English, and unless your client wants you to clean it up, it should be transcribed as spoken.  In these cases, the only real proof will be re-listening while reading along.

The one thing to remember is to never, NEVER, never transcribe something you are unsure of.  Research is part of a transcriptionist’s responsibilities.  If in doubt, leave it out.  Let the client know where the inaudibles are.  They will appreciate the blanks more than a misused word or phrase.  Remember one misused word or phrase completely erases all credibility and faith in your returned product.

Errors happen.  No one is perfect.  When you make a mistake, learn from it.  Make notes.  Know what each of your client’s preferences are.  Most importantly, respect your client enough to admit to your error and work to be mistake-free in your proofing and grammar the next time.  When you have an unhappy client, sometimes it is important that you offer a monetary “apology” in order to have a “next time” to prove your value.

Remember, when someone likes your work they will repeat it.  When someone dislikes your work, they will repeat it, and repeat it, and repeat it.

My favorite line to my transcriptionists is “Breathe. I don’t mind blanks.  I will fill in blanks as possible.  But be sure what you type is what was said and how it was said.  Proof, proof, proof.  Doing a thorough proof is the only way to get your ear.”  I am proud to say that CLK transcriptionists always give their best, and that is all I ask.

Speed is not as important as accuracy when transcribing.  I don’t care how fast you type if what you type is incorrect.  I can bet that your clients won’t care either.
WWW.CLKtranscription.com – Let us assist you with your transcription needs. We accept all forms of downloadable audio, tapes, CDs, DVDs, hardcopy conversion, and voice mail.  We also offer development of electronic signatures, PDF conversions, and audio conversion for easy playback.  We are proud to note many journalists, authors, ghost writers, doctors, universities, and corporations as clients.  We would love to add you to our “family”.

Three ways to save at CLK Transcription during the months of September/October:

Mention this blog when submitting audios to us for transcription and save $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

Refer a friend who generates an invoice of $50.00 or more and receive another $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

Retweet this blog, and receive yet another $5.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

That’s a potential savings of $15.00 off your next invoice of $50.00 or more.

We can begin any project immediately and look forward to hearing from you!

Carollee@clktranscription.com

Twitter = @CLK_Shortcake
Facebook = CarolLee Streeter Kidd
LinkedIn = http://www.linkedin.com/in/clktranscription

Sometimes going cheap is good. But sometimes going cheap can cost you your career!

Sometimes going cheap is good.  Getting cheaper soap at the grocery store is good.  Getting cheap concert tickets is great.  But sometimes going cheap can cost you your business, your career…your livelihood.

I admit I am in a profession in which the workload is easily sent off shore to complete.  I also admit that it can be done cheaper.  I also know that doing so puts our medical, personal, and professional information at risk.

You get what you pay for.

I have stated before and will state again, that when our personal information is sent off shore, you are opening up the residents of the USA to identity theft, but you are also leaving the door wide open for other errors that can and do occur.  Things like hypoglycemic transcribed as hyperglycemic, known malignant transcribed as non-malignant, so many more…

Read more here http://wp.me/pLEiA-55 on how medical information is shared when transcribed over seas.  Is this where you want your information?  Even your insurance carrier may off shore their Workman’s Comp and Disability Claim Files.  Could that be why you have been denied benefits?  Was there an error in the medical report due to a language barrier?

Another example is legal transcription.  Allow me to share the following story:

I had a lawyer relay this to me to show the importance of commas that he found only AFTER a will reading.  One little comma can change a settlement of a case dramatically.

A man dies.  He leaves his estate to his three kids, which for the purpose of this example we will call Jack, Jill, and Jane.

His estate is worth a million dollars and it is to be divided in equal shares to Jack, Jill and Jane.

Now would you appreciate that inheritance?  Or if you were Jane and Jill, would you rather that pesky little comma so that it reads:

His estate is worth a million dollars and it is to be divided in equal shares to Jack, Jill, and Jane.

Without the comma Jack gets half, while Jill and Jane share the other half.  With the comma, they all get equal thirds.  Do you think someone who has English as a second language would understand the importance of that comma?  Jill and Jane sure found out the importance of the comma.

Imagine your comma missing in your important document!

For the journalist, ghost writer, and author.

You work hard to do your interviews, composites, and drafts.  Would you want your story transcribed by someone who then sells your hard work to a high bidder, with no possible recourse?  Confidentiality statements mean nothing when there are no ramifications for a breach.  When you search for the lowest possible bid, you get the lowest possible certainty that your hard work is safe.  Pay pennies…lose big bucks.

And yet another example:

Ever have your voice mail transcribed by an off shore vendor?  If you have, maybe it ended up on the blogs found when Googling “Funniest Voice Mail Transcription Errors.”

Now let’s get into another fact of life:

Big corporate companies off shore their work:  Manufacturers, tech developers, etcetera.  Sure it is cheaper, and maybe you even see okay quality with some products.  But have you thought about how we must share our trade secrets with the companies that we now send our work to, who then are under no legal ramifications if they share that information?  If they take it and run with it, now putting your business in jeopardy of losing it all?  What are you going to do?  Fire them, set up in another country, and pray it doesn’t happen again?  What about the money these businesses lose?  How do they recoup?  By increasing their costs.  By going bankrupt?  By a US Government bailout?

Keep US information, jobs, and resources where it belongs.  In the USA.  Our citizens are trained, they take pride in their work, and they need work – which builds our economy.

I do not dislike the other parts of this great world we live in.  I am just very proud to say that I am an American.  I live and work in the USA.  I am a proud US owned and operated businesswoman.

Have your audio/video transcribed by a human, in the US, by US citizens, and be proud to say it was Made in America! We honor your confidentiality at all times.   Do your research.  There are many great US transcriptionists and transcription companies right here in your own backyard.  It may cost you a few cents more, but you will save on quality and so much more.  But do your research.  Many large transcription companies off shore their workloads yet lead you to believe they do it all right here in the USA!

http://www.clktranscription.com – we never off shore your work.  We never use voice recognition.  We always respect your time and your confidentiality, and we give you the quality you demand.  Find out why we come highly recommended.

A Touching Transcriptionist’s Tale – Get Your Hankies Ready

I already know I have a fantastic team of transcriptionists here at CLK.  I already know that each of them have a story.  Here is another.  When you think that working from home is a luxury, I hope this gives you just a little more insight.  The only luxury is being able to be where our heart needs us most.

Why Transcription? ~by  Nicole Gennrich

Let me first say I love the work that I do for CLK.  Who knew you could never get bored doing your job.  It’s the same physical movement but the subject is always different.  I find it fascinating every day.  But I can honestly say that’s not what first drew me to the possibility of transcription as a career.

I’m fairly young and spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  I had a daughter who I took to daycare every day so I could go to work.  I knew I hated missing so much time with her but knew, just like every other parent, that the bills had to be paid as well.  I was the marketing manager at a small water treatment company; liked my job but didn’t love it and didn’t really have any training to do anything else.  One day my whole view of my job, daycare, and the world changed.  My daughter’s daycare was closed that day so a “friend” of mine was watching her for me.  I received a frantic call from him that she was having a seizure.  I told him to call 911 and left work immediately.  When I got to my house the ambulance was still there so I rode to the hospital with her.  We had to stop a long the way because she was no longer breathing on her own and needed to be intubated.  After she was examined by the doctors they pulled me in a separate room and informed me that she had been shaken very violently and would probably not wake up again.  She was 18 months old.  They took her by helicopter to the best children’s hospital we have.  I knew if she could be saved they would save her.  Three days later in her ICU room I said goodbye to my baby and held her as they unhooked her from life support.  After spending a lot of time not being able to move I decided I had to figure something out.  I returned to my job but had been demoted and replaced because of my extended absence.  Understandable…life goes on for the rest of the world even when it has stopped for you.

Anyway, I had spent too much time and worked to hard to go back to where I started when I first joined the company.  I also realized I loved and missed being a mother and knew I needed to find something to do so I could be there if I ever had another baby – trusting someone would not be an option anymore.  That’s when I heard an ad on the radio for a seminar about medical transcription.  I went to the seminar and found out about going to school at home and working at home.  I started my medical transcription course with At-Home Professions and loved it.  It took me awhile to finish but I got it done.  In December 2007 I had a baby boy and knew I could be home with him.  I had a hard time finding work as a newbie to the medical transcription world.  But then I found the posting for transcription with CLK.  I wasn’t sure about the general transcription part but thought I’d send my resume anyway.  I can honestly say I love the general transcription more than medical now.  Why I choose transcription – it’s fun, fascinating, and I know my son is safe when I go to work every day.

Next time you visit your doctor, ask them an important question!

Where does your health care provider have their transcriptions done?  You may think that is a silly question.  One that is not important to you, but read on – you might just change your mind.

I believe the best people available to do a job should be those hired to do the job.  That being said, I believe that if there is work in the US, and a need for workers in the US, then it should be US workers filling that spot.  They are trained, they are dedicated, and they are familiar with the demand that is placed upon them.

I believe that to be true for all countries.  If you have jobs, and you have citizens, then offer training to your citizens, offer the job to your citizens…don’t send work somewhere else just because it is cheaper – you end up getting what you paid for – substandard work.  If your citizens need work and your economy needs help, why not spend time training and getting the work done within your borders by people who understand what it is you are looking for and who are dedicated to doing a fantastic job because they needed the job in the first place.

The US Transcriptionists are fighting for their jobs!

For example – the US Transcriptionist typically spends THOUSANDS of dollars for their training.  They live day-to-day searching for work, and are told they must have 2 to 5 years experience.  Yet gaining that experience is difficult because much of the work is sent over seas to be transcribed by others who do not have English as their first language and who are mills churning out low quality work in bulk, because they are “cheaper” than a US transcriptionist.

Where is the logic in that?  You send your audio over seas, you get it back and spend your own time correcting the transcripts, and at the same time, risk your information being unsecure and shared with others.  I would think your time is more valuable than that – having paid for a service only to have to edit because of language barriers.  Have you read the article about the women over seas who threatened her US client that she would post his information on the web because he was a little late in paying her?  Or what about the language barriers that cause major problems for doctors and their patients.  http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/it-strategy/2004/08/26/when-indian-transcriptions-head-awry-39164629/

Many US transcription companies state they do not offshore their work, but I am here to tell you that many, many of the larger companies do.  With a little investigation, just checking out their website, or even some of the transcriptionist forum sites, you will find that more and more of US work is being off shored, leaving these skilled US transcriptionists out of work.   It can be as simple as the contact page or e-mail address they set up on their website, or affiliations they note.  Many use off shore companies to subcontract their work to, but hide it from their clients.

Identify theft is a big problem!

In addition, identify theft is a scary situation.  A prospect every US citizen should be worried about.

Did you know that some researchers feel that up to 78 percent of identify theft begins off shore?  Criminals are finding more and more ways to get your information because more and more work is being sent offshore – http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/banking/financialprivacy/p90682.asp

Of course we have issues within our borders, but at least here, the laws are enforceable and we as citizens can demand protection from abuse and misuse of our information.

Why does it matter where your doctor has his transcripts completed?  Here are some scary thoughts:

When you go to your doctor’s office, you are expected to give them all of your information, including family, medical and social history.  Now maybe just having your social security number and insurance information is scary enough, but when you add-on the medications you use, the family history, your social history, it becomes easier for those with less than honest intentions to “become” you. In accessing credit card information, one of the questions a credit card company will ask you for security reasons is “what is your mother’s maiden name’.  when filing an insurance claim, the criminal has all the past information to validate who “you” are.

Think about what your doctor knows about you.  Think about all the information he obtains from you at every visit.

Lets not forget, that due to increasing malpractice suits and the ever rising cost of malpractice insurance, more and more doctors are dictating even more information to cover themselves and validate their care of your medical needs.  The fact that they have to do this is another blog – but imagine, every phone call you make to them, every illness you discuss, every change in address, phone number, insurance, etc – being dictated and transcribed off shore, where there is no legal recourse if someone were to take it and use it with malicious intent.  Even your child’s name and those of your extended family is oftentimes dictated by your doctor.

Do they know?

Some doctors, due to the ever-increasing costs to run their office have thought that off-shoring their transcripts can save them money.  Some are not aware that the hospital or facility they are affiliated with, or even the transcription company they utilize, sends the work off shore.  They just forward the audio and wait for it to be returned.

Those that off shore directly, typically have a person they pay to review and edit the transcripts – how is that saving money?  Paying sick days, holidays, taxes etc for an employee to correct what they already paid for?  Wouldn’t having it done right the first time by a person trained in the profession and who speaks your language be more cost-effective in the long run?  Those that send their transcripts to a US company who sends it off shore just have not researched enough to know any better.  They simply looked for the cheapest rate.

These US companies that off shore their work may be “saving” you money, but they do it for selfish reasons.  They charge you one amount, send the work off shore and pay pennies to have that work transcribed, allowing them to pocket a big chunk of change themselves.  In the long run, the only one who wins is them.

There are people all over the US looking for work.  Looking to make money.  Needing to make money.  Why not allow them to do the job they spent time and money to be trained for?  Think about how that helps that nation’s economy.   Your information will be safe and if not, they are legal ramifications that can be sought out.

Again, I am not against people working and earning a living.  I am for the people of a country that has work to offer being able to train and gain that position.

Transcription of medical and non-medical reports is a growing business with growing demand.  It documents conversations, and is used as ‘proof” of events.  It allows paperless tracking of events and discussions, and aids many individuals and companies every day.  your information is important enough to document, isn’t it important enough to safeguard and have accurate as well?

How not to hire American!

A few years ago I came across a conference, held here in the US at a Hilton Hotel.  It was all about how not to hire American – even if they could do the job – all in the name of saving a buck.  These were US companies, US jobs, at a US hotel discussing this topic.  SHAMEFUL if you ask me.  Here is the link to that video, still seen on the web.  http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/190607_avoid_hiring_american.html

Whatever happened to the days of being proud to display “Made in the USA”?

The next time you visit your doctor’s office or other health facility – ask them – who does your transcripts?  Even EMR information is being of-shored, so demand to know where your information is going.  Who has access to it?  Can they assure you that their transcription company does not offshore.  Does your insurance company offshore their medical reports?

The next time you have an audio to be transcribed – think American.  The next time you deal with a US company, ask them – do you off shore any information at all?  Safeguard your information.  Be proud to say your transcripts were Made In The USA.

www.clktranscription.com  We NEVER off shore our work, and we can show you how using a US transcriptionist can save you time and money. Contact us today for information on how we can assist you with your transcription needs.  The US transcriptionists will appreciate it and work harder to meet your demands.