| :An Overview: | | | | - EMR: Speech Recognition can be applied in |
| Speech is now not confined solely to the human | | | | Electronic Medical Record systems of hospitals, |
| race, or even living beings on a broader | | | | clinics, etc. Searches, queries, and even filling up of |
| perspective. It has extended to the World of | | | | forms can be made simpler and faster with voice |
| Technology; specifically Computers and Software. | | | | rather than using the keyboard. |
| Speech Recognition Technology [SRT], little known | | | | Advantages: |
| until recent times, is an area that has been | | | | Speech Recognition Technology can be |
| constantly growing over the years. SRT has | | | | advantageous to both Medical Transcriptionists as |
| opened new windows of panoramic dimensions to | | | | well as doctors in a number of ways. A few |
| human kind. | | | | advantages are: |
| Speech Recognition Technology - Defined: | | | | - There is not much typing involved as the first |
| A technology wherein a machine or program | | | | draft is generated by the software |
| identifies spoken words and phrases and converts | | | | - Requires only editing of the machine-generated |
| them to readable format. In more simpler terms, | | | | text |
| voice/speech is converted to text format. | | | | - Faster turnaround of reports |
| The Beginning: | | | | - Saves time in completion of reports |
| Speech Recognition Technology, as we know it | | | | - Stat reports can be completed and returned |
| today, did not just bloom overnight. It is the work | | | | quicker than by using the conventional method of |
| of over 30 years. The very first implementation | | | | typing |
| of Speech Recognition was designed and displayed | | | | Drawbacks: |
| by IBM during the 1964 New York World's Fair. It | | | | Being a technology that has not entirely been |
| was called the IBM Shoebox; and typically sized | | | | perfected, SRT has a few drawbacks. |
| too. This device only recognized spoken digits | | | | - It cannot fully distinguish words spoken with |
| from 0 to 9. Over the years, Software | | | | heavy accents |
| companies have delved upon the benefits and the | | | | - Homophones (words which sound the same but |
| profits that can be reaped from developing SRT, | | | | may have different spellings and meanings) can |
| and they have come a long way since. Now many | | | | cause spelling errors |
| noted companies have come up with different | | | | - Incorrect grammar is bound to occur in the |
| versions of this technology, offering various | | | | generated texts |
| features. | | | | - Punctuation rules are not likely to be followed at |
| While Speech Recognition has progressed vastly, | | | | all times |
| the downside is that it has been a long and | | | | - Multiple speakers cannot be clearly differentiated |
| laborious road this far. It calls for training and | | | | - Background noise and disturbances may cause |
| updating of Software to work flawlessly; and it is | | | | misspellings |
| currently far from perfect. There is so much | | | | Question of the Hour: |
| more to go before it can be said that SRT is | | | | A niggling thought in the minds of many Medical |
| without any imperfections. | | | | Transcriptionists is whether Speech Recognition |
| Speech Recognition Technology - In Health Care | | | | Technology poses a threat to their livelihood. This |
| and Medical Transcription: | | | | is a baseless fear, keeping in mind the drawbacks |
| An area where this technology has caught on to | | | | of SRT. No report will be complete until a human |
| a great extent is the Medical Transcription | | | | eye has scanned it. Machine-generated documents |
| Industry. Speech Recognition is of two types: | | | | can only be 60%-70% error-free. It demands |
| Front End and Back End. | | | | well-trained and professional Medical |
| - Front End: As the doctor dictates into the | | | | Transcriptionists to read through and edit the |
| machine, the words are automatically generated | | | | reports. A mistake, even a tiny one, can result in |
| and displayed. This text can be edited directly, the | | | | unpleasant situations for many. And one cannot |
| report finalized, and signed by the doctor | | | | rely on mere machines to do the job 100% |
| immediately. But there are few Front end users | | | | without errors. In conclusion, Speech Recognition |
| due to time constraints faced by doctors and | | | | Technology is certainly one of a kind. While it has |
| practitioners. | | | | not yet reached the peak of perfection, it is still |
| - Back End: Also called Delayed or Deferred | | | | quite an aid to the healthcare industry, specifically |
| Speech Recognition. The written draft is | | | | Medical Transcription. And there is certainly no |
| generated by the Software and sent to the | | | | danger of software or machines or even |
| Medical Transcriptionists for editing and proof | | | | technology entirely taking over man's work; |
| reading. This is more convenient for doctors as it | | | | technology is just merely helping out! |
| requires less time spent reading the proofs. | | | | |