Home Based Transcription Program

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South Bend Clinic

Home Based Transcription Program

Guidelines

I.  Qualifications for Participation

South Bend Clinic considers the Home Based Transcription (HBT) Program to be a non-traditional work arrangement offered to those employees who have demonstrated a specified degree of skill and professionalism in their field. To qualify for participation, the employee must have met the following criteria:

a.  The completion of a training period to be conducted in-house at SBC’s HIM Transcription Department. The duration of this training period will be at the discretion of the Transcription Supervisor based upon the participant’s prior medical transcription experience. Any participant with less than two years prior medical transcription experience will likely need four to six months of in-house training.

b.  Trainees must be able to achieve a productivity rate of 800 to 1,000 lines per day (during initial training on SBC physicians). Employees with two or more years of service must average 1,000 to 1,200 lines per day. Within six to eight months at home, the expected production level should average out at 1,500 lines per day. This level of production needs to be maintained to stay qualified for the HBT Program.

c.  The ability to maintain a maximum error ratio of two errors per page. The Transcription Supervisor will perform quality assurance checks on all staff members and will inform staff members of their error ratios. Any previous Corrective Actions received by the employee in house will be taken into consideration when determining a staff member’s eligibility for the Home Based Transcription program. Continuation of any need for corrective actions once at home may constitute the need for the employee to be pulled back in house.

d.  The ability to provide a location at home conducive to concentration that:

1.  Meets ergonomical needs for comfort and proper work position.

2.  Is designed for proper lighting, ventilation and electrical safeguards.

3.  Is private, or utilizes a confidentiality screen cover to minimize incidental observance of PHI.

e.  The adherence to South Bend Clinic’s Confidentiality Policy. Transcription has an internal policy that transcriptionists will not transcribe their own medical reports in the event they are seen by an SBC physician. Should the transcriptionist receive a job on themselves, they are to return the job to Holding Status for assignment to another transcriptionist. Each transcriptionist has the right to advise the Transcription Supervisor that a report will be dictated and to request that it be typed by the Transcription Supervisor.

II.  Participant Classifications

a.  South Bend Clinic Employee with Benefits (Full Time-Routinely Scheduled to work a minimum of 32 hours per week or 64 hours per pay period).

This position includes benefits as offered by the South Bend Clinic Employee Handbook. The employee works a scheduled shift at an hourly wage determined by SBC policy. Employees qualifying for a Home Based Transcription position agree to the following paid exceptions:

1.  Attendance at monthly department staff meetings, as scheduled.

2.  Attendance at mandatory Clinic meetings, as scheduled.

Schedule: The employee will work a scheduled shift to be determined by the Transcription Supervisor to meet workflow productivity needs. As a home based transcriptionist, additional hours flexibility may be available on an as needed basis and will require the approval of the Transcription Supervisor. Home Based transcriptionists are not eligible for shift differential as routine schedules do not include evening work. Overtime is not allowed unless specifically requested by the Transcription Supervisor.

b.  South Bend Clinic Contract Transcriptionist

Workflow to be assigned by the Transcription Supervisor. A separate “Contract” and Business Associate Agreement signed by both parties details the responsibilities and payment arrangements for contract transcriptionists. Attendance at monthly HIM Transcription staff meetings is encouraged for continuity of procedures and continuing education in medical terminology. A $10 stipend will be paid to direct contracts that participate in staff meetings.

III.  Equipment and Environment

1.  Equipment provided by South Bend Clinic will include a computer (monitor, CPU, and foot pedal), and surge protector. In addition, the South Bend Clinic will pay for the employee’s high speed internet connect charge. Invoices for the connection charge will be submitted to the Director of HIM for approval, and the employee will be reimbursed.

2.  Electrical outlets in the home must be grounded. SBC equipment will be connected via the surge protector supplied by the Clinic.

3.  Insurance. A copy of the employee’s Certificate of Insurance (homeowners or renters) will be supplied to the Director of HIM for inclusion in the employee’s file.

4.  Environment shall be defined as the work station containing the SBC computer, and an area not to exceed three feet surrounding the work station (defined for Workers Compensation).

IV.  Division of Responsibility between Employee and South Bend Clinic

1.  Work Volume Fluctuations. In the event the workflow drops to a level where work is not available for several hours, or, downtime is created through equipment or system failure, the following options are available to the employee:

a.  Accrued PTO time may be taken on the approval of the Transcription Supervisor.

b.  Employee may “make-up” downtime hours within the same pay period.

c.  Employee may come into the Main Campus to assist in HIM work.

2.  The employee is responsible for alerting the Transcription Supervisor of equipment malfunction. If it is a computer issue that cannot be solved through remote IS intervention, the employee is responsible for bringing the equipment to the IS department. Repairs are at the expense of South Bend Clinic.

3.  The computer supplied by South Bend Clinic is for Clinic business only and may not be used for personal use. All IS guidelines for SBC computers pertain to the home based transcriptionist.

4.  The employee’s home work environment is subject to scheduled inspection by any of the following SBC personnel: Director of HIM, Transcription Supervisor, Manager of Information Services, or an IS Technician.

5.  Participation in the home based transcription program is considered to be voluntary and is on an equal status with those employees choosing to work on-site.

6.  Upon the end of employment, and/or cancellation of the home based transcription program, all Clinic owned equipment will be returned within 24 hours. In the event of immediate termination, the Clinic reserves the right to visit the home and remove all SBC equipment. (Example: Known breach of confidentiality).

7.  Employees will submit an electronic time sheet to the HIM Specialist at the end of each pay period. The HIM Specialist will verify the time worked against production logs, obtain management approval, and submit the time sheet to Payroll for processing.

8.  South Bend Clinic reserves the right to amend, revise, or discontinue the HBT Program at any time.

V.  Corrective Actions

HBT Program employees are subject to the same Corrective Action process for all SBC employees as outlined in the SBC Employee Handbook.

Approved Version 8/18/05