10 Things to Consider When Implementing Speech Recognition at Your Practice

As speech recognition becomes more popular within general practice, it can be hard to know what to look for when selecting a solution. Whichever solution you decide to use, make sure you consider these 10 important factors ahead of implementation.

1. Integration: The speech recognition solution you choose should be compatible with any existing systems in use within the Practice, from the clinical system (like EMIS or SystmOne) to Microsoft programmes like Word and Outlook.
2. Hardware: Some speech recognition solutions will require specific hardware, which may require additional cost and time to implement throughout the Practice. It may be more efficient to select a solution that can be used with existing microphones, foot pedals and headsets. If you don’t have existing hardware, select a solution that comes with a mobile app that can utilise the phone’s microphone.
3. Accuracy: Trial the speech recognition solution for at least a couple of weeks before you commit to a purchase. The solution should have accuracy rates above 98%, especially for medical terminology. It should also have the ability to understand all accents, so make sure you test out the solution on a variety of different team members.
4. Costs: It’s important to get more than one quote and compare ‘hidden’ costs, such as upgrades, hardware (as mentioned above), training and ongoing support. Another consideration is exactly who you have to pay to have access to the solution – at Dictate.IT we only charge for clinical users, for example.
5. Word of mouth: Find out what other Practices are using, or ask potential solution providers for contact details of existing customers that you can speak to.
6. Usability: Practice staff are busy enough without needing to spend hours understanding the quirks of a new system. An intuitive, user-friendly solution will also ensure maximum buy-in across the Practice. Equally, you don’t want the solution to be so basic that it’s not useful – check for helpful workflow features, such as canned text and voice navigation.
7. Training: Not only should you receive training on how to use the product, but it’s important to understand how much voice training is required before the speech recognition is accurate. Some providers, like Dictate.IT, require no voice training.
8. Access: Solutions can either be server- or cloud-based, so consider which would suit your Practice the best. Server-based will likely only be accessible from one computer in one location, which might not be appropriate for GP’s that work from more than one Practice. Cloud-based solutions can be accessed from anywhere using a login via a web browser.
9. Security: Any solution that you implement within your Practice should comply with NHS security standards and ensure that patient data is safe and secure.
10. How to best spend all the time you’ll be saving!