MT India Digest - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MTID
Moderated MT Discussion List, Since 1999

=======================================
Moderated by: Published by:
Amit Chatterjee, SM MT India
amit@... www.mtindia.org

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July 09, 2003 Digest #107
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....

=============NEW=================

=CMT exam to be accessible worldwide.

~Moderator!

===========CONTINUING============

=Outsourcing Policies in the US=-

~R.Viswanathan
"Should US MTs harness alternative business models in the field
of Medical Transcription"

~Venky Katwa
"US is the country that professed Globalization and getting rid of
encumbrances in international trade. In India, many people went
jobless when US industries came to India"

~Tina Spaulding
"I will join Ms. Olson in contacting my US senators and
representatives."

~Montyna
"I think if US-based MTs got the chance to know India-based MTs on
a more personal level, it'd benefit both sides."

=Employee retention policies=-

~Hitanshu Munjial
"there are certain "lala companies" that just want to suck the
blood out of MTs"

=============NEW=================

Quote from the July-August 2003 JAAMT:"New Certification Exam"

"Beginning early next year, a new, computer-based, user-friendly
certification exam will be administered. The two-part exam combined
into one sitting (about 4-5 hours) and administered in
vendor-operated testing centers so that all candidates will
experience the same conditions. No longer will candidates be
responsible for finding their own test site, proctor, references,
and equipment. The new exam will also be accessible worldwide."

Your comments are welcome!

Regards,

Amit
amit@...
www.mtindia.org

===========CONTINUING============
From: R.Viswanathan
Subject: MT business - US and India

Hello MT Friends in US and in India,

I am Viswanathan from Paramount, Bangalore and Rapid Care Group,
Chennai. Perhaps, what I have given below could be one of the
possible solutions for the problem faced by MTs in US outlined by
Stella Olson. These are my personal opinions.

Stella Olson's observations are well taken. I personally appreciate
her concerns that affect the MTs in the US. To identify possible
solutions, I feel the US MTs should carefully address the following
issues:

1. What is precisely the reason that they lose their jobs in the
US?

Is it just that their entire MT work is moving offshore to India
(or to other countries)? Having spent over 4 years in the Indian MT
business, I personally do not think so. Is it that the MT business
across the US has become less complicated and easier to handle? May
be yes. Is it that with the availability of MT skills exceeding the
demand for them, the line rates in US are sliding? Possibly yes. In
this changing scenario, MTs in the US could perhaps do well to
review the rates they charge per line, and still be productively
employed as independent contractors or as Home Transcriptionists.

2. Is the overall volume of MT work in US shrinking ?

Anyone will agree with me that it can never be the case. Population
across the world only increases and people in US have much longer
life span. This, along with the stress laden lifestyle, the
incidence of illness could only increase every day, pushing up the
MT work volume in US. Possibly it is only the increased workload
that moves offshore.

3. Is speech-recognition software posing a threat to the MTs all
over the world ?

All of us know for sure that speech recognition software has its
own limitations for the MT business, warranting human inteventiion
to make the reports 100% accurate. So the software can only help
supplement the efforts of MTs, not totally replace the same.

4. Should US MTs harness alternative business models in the field
of MT ?

With abundant MT work available in the country, part of which moves
out offshore, US MTs should perhaps look at alternative business
opportunities, even from India. Given the fact that they are more
'at home' in MT with much longer experience in the field, they can
take up contracts/work from clinics and hospitals and themselves
outsource the same to smaller MT outfits in India. They can do the
final quality check of the work done by these companies and provide
100% quality work to clients in US. This will help the US MTs
handle larger volume of work and give them higher earnings by the
value addition they make to to the quality of work. In short, each
of them could start a small MT Company that can handle high volume
work. The business will only grow.

5. Can this 'apparent threat' be turned to a realistic and
potential business opportunity?

Most certainly yes. I feel with a little amount of flexibility and
adjustment, this can be achieved. In fact the MTs & Editors in
India can be of great support to MTs in the US in this regard. Both
the communities can enjoy mutual advantage and live in perfect
harmony.

After all, the size of the pie is increasing, and everyone can have
a share in it.

I welcome your views!

Best wishes,

R. Viswanathan
President & CEO
Paramount Foundation
Project Advisors - MT & BPO
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Anti-outsourcing
++++ new post - same topic ++++

From: Venky Katwa
Subject: Re: Tackling the offshore outsourcing backlash

Dear Stella:

I understand your views and while on my recent US trip, I
encountered many such people who are opposed to outsourcing.

My opinion on this is:

US is the country that professed Globalization and getting rid of
encumbrances in international trade. In India, many people were
jobless when US industries came to India to sell their products
rendering closure of existing industries. In Globalization,
everyone talks about cost cutting and that's the only mantra to
stay afloat.

As a graduate in Economics and World Trade Organization rules, I
feel this is an irreversible process. Indians did go to US and
set-up shops there, but they send work to India more because of
cost than patriotism. I have known many Indians who have settled in
US and are simply US patriots (that's the way it should be!), but
sending work to India is purely due to cost measures than anything
else.

The new social backlash was not un-expected as many Indian
organizations mentioned it as one of the risk factors in their
Project report. Lastly, I feel this is a part and parcel of
Globalization and one should accept is as a new challenge.

God Bless India. God Bless America.

Venky Katwa
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Anti-outsourcing
++++ new post - same topic ++++

From: Tina Spaulding
Subject: Re: Tackling the offshore outsourcing backlash

Hello!

In response to the USA MT's letter, you state that you see the
problem but lack the solution.

Later on in your newsletter, you have this quote regarding the
future of MT with voice recognition technology:
Dr Rosser stresses that there remains a role for medical
secretaries in hospitals even under a system like that operated by
DictaScribe. "Instead of spending 60 to 70 per cent of their time
typing, they can spend time on filing, pulling patient notes and
preparing clinics," she says.

The problem with this is that a medical transcriptionist is NOT a
secretary and does not want to work as a secretary, because this
would surely mean a rather large pay cut.

I will join Ms. Olson in contacting my US senators and
representatives. The Indian-owned USA MT offices are, in my
opinion, merely storefront offices set up to distract attention
from the fact that the actual transcription is being done in India,
halfway around the world. US citizens are only now becoming aware
that their private medical records are being sent to God
knows where, God knows when. I realize that Indian companies state
they are HIPAA-compliant, but what if they aren't? What recourse
would a hospital who had outsourced to an Indian MT company have,
if the Indian company sold its data to a third party? Very little,
as I see it.

Our service lost a large hospital account last year to an Indian
firm. The hospital is prohibited by government law to outsource
overseas, but they did it anyway because of the price difference
and, I'm sure, there was some extra money in there to keep people
quiet about it. Until we lost this large account, I thought there
was enough work to go around and I supported Indian MT companies,
but when it hits your own personal pocketbook, it changes your
opinion. I firmly believe the old saying that "you get what you
pay for," and I believe hospitals that are outsourcing to India
will soon be paying lawsuit damages because HIPAA regulations are
impossible to enforce overseas.

Tina J Spaulding
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Anti-outsourcing
++++ new post - same topic ++++

From: Montyna
Subject: Article...

Hi MTIDers!

I help run a fledging online magazine for medical transcriptionists
called MT Clips. I'd like to get in touch with an MT from India who
would be interested in writing an article on MT-ing in India.

There has been so much rhetoric flying about on outsourcing these
job or that, I think if US-based MTs got the chance to know
India-based MTs on a more personal level, in particular how MT'ing
is the same, with the same mumbling, gum-chewing dictators for all
of us, it'd benefit both sides.

I am also going to extend an invitation to an opponent of
outsourcing medical transcription to write an article about same,
which will appear in the same issue. I do promise that the
difference in opinion will be presented respectfully.

Thank you for your time,

Montyna
montyna@...
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Anti-outsourcing

[MODERATOR COMMENT]

Hello everyone!

There has been a lively debate going on at the Hot Zone:
http://www.mtchat.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=10&t=0
02487

If you can't find the thread there, goto:
http://www.mtchat.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=10

And click on the thread "MT India"

I can and have seen all sorts of cooperation between MT business -
MNCs, down to the IC working from home. But if you are talking
about an employed MT in the US benefiting from offshore
outsourcing, that is something I am missing. Whoever benefits, it
is not going to be employed MTs in the USA - that I presume that
was what was being referred to when Stella talked about "U.S. MTs
losing their jobs". If jobs are not compromised, pay will be and so
on...

The simple equation now for an US MTSO/HMO is either to pay an X
rate to an employee or outsource offshore at an Y rate. The only
"middle ground" I can see is if US MTs go into business for
themselves, eliminating the MTSOs altogether, while using offshore
MTs to compete at the rates nationals offer.

Probably Stella has some vision that I don't...

Amit
amit@...
http://www.mtindia.org/
++++ new post - different topic ++++

From: Hitanshu Munjial
Subject: Employee retention policies

Dear Amit and MTIDers:

I agree with the comments in the article put by you.

Here, let me put my foot on some more toes. It is also a fact in
india that in spite of MTs increasing their productivity, there are
certain "lala companies" that just want to suck the blood out of
MTs. They typically want an MT who just sits there meekly on the
seat and sits for long hours at work and who is too shy to demand a
salary raise. I think these "lala companies" find such an MT to be
an ideal one.

They want the MT to be fully committed to them but they themselve
do not want to fulfill their commitments towards the MTs.

Hitanshu Munjial
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Employee_policies

[MODERATOR COMMENT]

lala = trader

Amit
amit@...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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