Medical Speech Recognition: Drive to Innovation and Safety during COVID-19

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has left the entire world tattered. This virus triggered a lockdown worldwide which affected the financial markets terribly! While this is being efficiently handled by every country, the healthcare system sees a ray of technology up-gradation! This unfortunate phase in history has given way to virtual care platforms or telehealth as we call it. Telehealth enables patients to virtually meet doctors on an online platform via phone or video chat.

To combat this situation, our healthcare heroes are on their feet working 24X7! Medical speech recognition software is becoming popular in recent times and even more due to the global pandemic. This software comes to the rescue for our doctors and the healthcare system in general.

First things first, let’s discuss what is “Medical Speech Recognition” so that we can move on with its benefits pertaining to the current scenario.

It immediately jots down every word that has been said, on the screen. A number of other features like its fast speed, accuracy, and automatic spell check make it an imperative software.

Now that we know all the factors that make it a winning technology, how is it an aid to the current scenario when we are attacked by a global pandemic?

Medical Speech Recognition: Drive to Innovation and Safety during COVID-19

1) Steep fall in TAT:

Such technology is a step-up for the healthcare industry as it reduces delays in turnaround time or TAT. In the absence of MSR, handwritten copies and reports were drafted which took a long time for editing. We cannot be having such delays anymore, especially now, because hospitals are loaded with patients that are diagnosed COVID-19 positive, and when doctors are busy treating patients over phone calls. This is why a speech recognition system becomes vital. From reducing the workload on medical transcriptionists to lesser TAT, MSR is sure emerging as a popular technology in the corona times!

2) Permanent Snooze on Call Backlogs:

The hospitals are becoming more and more crowded with patients that have been tested COVID-19 positive. Since the doctors have no time to attend patients via calls, the voice recognition system plays a crucial role here. The software records the patient’s voice along with an EMR and makes it available to the doctor! This makes it easier for the doctor to revise the record and add prescriptions to the EMR. Such a system satisfies both, the patients who get their medical records in a lesser time span and the doctors who don’t have to worry about attending each and every call! It's time to go digital!

3) Accurate and Error-free:

Radiologists don’t have to worry about the software making any errors documenting the words. A medical speech recognition software is designed in such a way that it recognizes the accent, voice and the style of speaking which results in lesser confusion! Your voice is understood by the software which makes it a simple, natural, intuitive tool to update an EPR. Also, the dictation software’s ability to capture a more complete and accurate patient’s story supports better clinical decision making.

 

4) Ready to use templates:

The installation of new technology has its own hiccups but that doesn’t make it inefficient. Voice recognition systems need the training to learn a new language, words, or to get used to the terminology. As a result of these errors, the accuracy might get affected a tad bit in the beginning. As they keep using the technology, the system adheres to the changes and eventually masters the art of recording! Once this speed bump is dealt with, physicians and healthcare personnel can use templates that are ready-made and easily available for documentation. Such templates provide a ray of light to the medical staff as they can move from one template to another as required by the speaker with just a voice command! This has definitely been a boon to the health industry in corona times!

5) Manual help is minimized:

The virus is so easily transferable from one person to the other which is why immediate precautions are the need of the hour! Various companies around the world have declared “Work from home”. However, in such times it’s our healthcare industry that needs to do the actual working. Adopting a Voice Recognition System eliminates the need for medical transcriptionists because all their work is done by the software. Lesser staff means lesser chances for the virus to spread in the hospital. Such a move is necessary and called for!

We need more of softwares like a medical speech recognition software that are extremely effective and quick. There is no more space for delays! The virus has a grip on the entire world, let’s make it a temporary one! This will only happen once the health care industries all over the world have accepted their needs and importance wholeheartedly. Speech Recognition software tools have supremely improved operational efficiency and discarded unnecessary overheads. Less paperwork, timely results, and telemedicine is the trend now. It’s time we keep up with this ongoing trend and contribute to flattening the curve or eradicate it altogether!