Emergency departments report time savings through EPR speech recognition integration

  • 22 February 2018
Emergency departments report time savings through EPR speech recognition integration
Speech recognition is 40% faster than handwriting or typing clinical documentation, according to a new study from software firm Nuance communications.

Two emergency departments in which speech recognition is being used within the electronic patient record have reported significant time savings as a result.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust integrated Nuance’s Dragon Medical speech recognition software into its EPR with the aim of reducing the time spent documenting care.

‘The impact of speech recognition within the Emergency Department’ study surveyed 44 clinicians working in the emergency departments at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

The results suggested it was 40% quicker to use speech recognition than to handwrite or type clinical documentation.

Nine out of 10 of the surveyed clinicians said it saved time, improved the quality of the notes, and increased the speed of communication with others.

The report suggests the time saved per patient is three minutes, and contends this is the equivalent of gaining almost two full-time clinical staff in ED.

Dr Andrew Adair, ED consultant and CCIO at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Speech recognition has transformed our ED, enabling [our doctors and nurses] to spend more time treating patients.”

Nuance Communications recently published another report which concluded technology firms should consider shadowing nurses to fully understand their workflows and inform the creation of solutions that work for them.

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4 Comments

  • Yes Chris I have hundreds of GP clients using Speech into GP clinical systems. They are using voice for consultations, referrals, templates and tasks.

    • Paul,

      Do any of them effectively use any of the four EPR primary care systems used in the U.K.?

      bw

  • Speech recognition works well in a quiet environment [eg a radiologist’s office] but it might be more challenging in a busy ED. Perhaps the computers could be located in acoustic cubicles to reduce interference?

  • It must be the way forward. Several of us have tried this in the past with GP software but it was frustrating. Is anyone persisting with speech recognition to write and control GP EPRs?

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