But nobody seems to think this is line padding. Am I cheating myself of lines because I think the headers should only be counted once (and put in the automated header where it belongs)?

I've met MTs who don't know how to create automated headers/footers, or don't know how to use the suppression features to make the header on page 2 different than the one on page 1. Some MTs put all their reports in one long document, and don't create proper headers/footers because it's too difficult to start and stop headers on each individual patient.

I look at it like using macros and templates. If your contract states that you charge for everything on the page and the client agrees to it, it's not line padding. If you state that you don't charge for headers/footers, then you turn around and do it, it is line padding.

When you look at the final printed document does it really matter how any of those characters got on the page? The MT is responsible for making sure the information is correct and appropriate, to the best of her ability. Should the MT be proofing automated headers and macros for internal consistency? If so, why should she not be paid for that?

Mike DeTuri

[ 01-11-2003: Message edited by: Mike ]

quote:

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But nobody seems to think this is line padding. Am I cheating myself of lines because I think the headers should only be counted once (and put in the automated header where it belongs)?

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Do you also discount for expanded words and templates? When I create a header, it takes much more time than it would to even manually type in the material. I don't go to the cut and paste part, I create a header so that it is there, and when I REMEMBER I add the lines that would be created. My accounts that WANT headers know all about my business practice.

Janice

Janice

Win big Julie so that you don't have to worry about header charges.

[ 01-11-2003: Message edited by: Janice M. ]

As long as you have outlined what they pay for, it shouldn't be a problem.

On the two IC accounts I do, I charge per 65 characters/spaces period. My contract says nothing specific about headers/footers being paid for only once. Since the header is a necessary part of the record, whether or not you enter it manually (copy/paste) or use an automatic function, the characters in the header do count in calculating your total lines.

My way of thinking is that this is similar to a doc not wanting to pay for macros (that we have created)to make our work go faster, but pay only for the keystrokes we use to enter the macro. My doc is paying for the finished product and my expertise in creating that product.

It's your personal choice in how you write your contract whether you want to exclude headers and footers after the first page. I do not feel it is unethical in any way to charge and/or pay MTs for headers and footers. Fortunately my counting software (DocuCount) has an option to include ALL headers and footers in the count. As an SC, if I did not have this software and I was supposed to be paid for each incidence of a header/footer, I would not hesitate to copy and paste.

Patty

We could not charge for headers/footers mainly because the header was static. It did change on the second page to a more brief header, but that is all automated. The footer required duplicating demographics in four areas; but it remained static thereafter. Sylcount Gold, which we use, counts headers and footers, period, on each page. That wasn't fair to the client. Some MTs were complaining about not being paid for the four fields which text they either went back up into the body to retrieve a piece at a time and pasted in the footer, memorized and sometimes made mistakes, or used the clipboard and copy/paste/F11 to fill in. They were performing work for which they were not being paid.

With the help of experienced MTs in Tech, we now are able to type the text once and have it duplicate in the footer. This has solved our problem very nicely.

However, even though we do not print the reports (FTP delivery) and use up ink and printer life and additional paper, I guess we still have some hidden revenue loss in the additional time spent uploading/downloading by virtue of additional bytes of data in those headers and footers including facility logos loading at time of transcription. Hmmmmm.... now that would be an arcane revenue enhancement idea!

For example, California has a couple workers' compensation forms and my service specializes in workers' compensation. The PR3 form alone is $20 before anybody even starts typing. The form doesn't change -- nothing gets taken out and all that gets added in is what's dictated. I don't charge for that template.

As always, the group is right -- what the contract says is what you charge for. I've just never charged more than once for the headers and footers and some accounts I don't even charge that because it's part of the template and usually their "stationery" so they can print on plain paper.

I will set a lower line rate for some highly automated work, but I always charge for all the lines.

Otherwise, I usually charge for the h/f, but only once; i.e., not for every page.

You've also indicated you handpick your clients carefully and I think that makes a difference.

What would you do with a client who uses a lot of normals and templates?

James K. Yan, M.D.
728 Pacific Avenue, Suite 305
San Francisco, California 94133

It's just easier for us since listening to him is so painful.

In order to take on one large clinic, we had to accept doing normals on a specific type of report.

But we took on those clients about five years ago. When one or two potential clients have told me they have all these normals and they only want to call out numbers for the reports and not have to pay for anything, I've told them we're not interested in their business.

George