How an EHR with Voice Recognition Can Save Time & Money
Physicians have to cope up with the unbearable pressure of practice management alongside the compliance of regulations such as those of the HITECH Act and MACRA etc. Accounts receivables and other billing concerns sure keep physicians on the edge, with the rejections and denials of claims. Many a time, additional staff is hired for handling clinical tasks, which further adds to the practices’ overheads.
With the exception of documentation, rest of the clinical activities may be automated to some extent. But what about clinical notes and other activities which require direct input from the physician. Vendors such as Nuance are offering medical transcription services to fulfill the need for automated input of data. Let’s take a look at the benefits of EHR with voice recognition or speech to text software:
Types of voice recognition:
There are two types of solutions currently available in the market:
- Front-end: As the user speaks, the words are transcribed into text in real-time. Such a software removes the need for a transcriptionist. Physicians can instantaneously review their transcriptions, which significantly expedites the entire documentation process. Through the implementation of such a transcription software, users don’t have to wait for the data to be proof read by a computer.
- Back-end: With the application of this method, words are stored in a digital format which are later retrieved by the computer and a sample of the transcription is generated; which can be later edited by the physician.
Lesser documentation:
Studies suggest that there is an 87% reduction in data entry time with the usage of a transcription solution, which automatically results in lesser paperwork. Physicians can dictate entire clinical notes to the software, conserving a lot of time for patients and other tasks. They can be later reviewed by the user. Such tools open up doors for newer opportunities, for instance, due to the abundance of time users can implement different strategies to manage their workload; more patients can be seen in less time, quality measures can be recorded with strict adherence of the guidelines set forth by the MIPS program etc. As a result of which physicians are able to deliver better healthcare to their patients and keep documentation errors to a minimum.
Integrated with artificial intelligence:
Some of the vendors are currently offering integration of artificial intelligence into their solutions. Which helps in seamless and error-free transcriptions. Incorporated into the software, AI enables automatic correction of errors, displays superior reception of words, and offers a multi-format transcription service; speech or an audio file both can be easily transcribed. Data acquired through transcription can also be exported in different formats.
Streamlined workflows:
Due to the ability to understand different accents and simultaneously transcribe data, EHRs with voice recognition functionality tend to fast track routine documentation tasks. With reduced paperwork, physicians have more time on their hands to manage the rest of the workflows; handling billing issues, inventory management etc. Availability of free time, considerably increases the productivity of the practice.
Flexibility:
Management of a practice’s workflows can be a cumbersome task; coordination with the staff, handling of expenditures etc. Flawless transcriptions enable physicians to contribute more towards the practice’s efficiency; it helps them in achieving more in less time, providing them with ample amount of time to steer other issues at hand. Cloud-based access further aids physicians in reviewing their documentation, anywhere and anytime; eliminating the need for visiting the practice for the sole purpose of retrieval of data.
Increased accuracy:
According to Dr.Li Zhou’s paper on the accuracy of voice recognition softwares, transcription solutions produce an accuracy of 92.6% while generating their output. Before the introduction of voice recognition software, physicians lost most of their time in documentation and experienced a downward trend in productivity. With the advent of transcription solutions, physicians have been conserving their time and have been focusing on improving their clinical outcomes. Research suggests that with its application, physicians can hope to reduce their transcription costs by up to 50%. Such great accuracy, encourages physicians to actively contribute to the healthcare industry, significantly enhancing the quality of service delivered to the patients. As a result of which, efficiency of a practice is also increased.