Poll of the Week: Do You Use Voice Recognition Software?

by Sara Michael | September 26, 2011 8:58 AM EDT

Alan, I wish I could blame VR software for the typo. That's human error! The mistake has been fixed.

by alan woronoff | September 23, 2011 1:44 PM EDT

One funny thing here--there is a typo above. Should say "voice recognition"but it says "voice regnition". I wonder if that was typed or voice transcribed?? LOL

by alan woronoff | September 23, 2011 1:22 PM EDT

I think VR is a useful technology. Ability to place phrases into reports that you always say shortens time dictating (use of macros). Use of speech shortcuts (i.e. train vocabulary lexicon to say what you want by saying acronyms) helps a lot.

Dragon out of the box allows a lot more flexibility in placement of cursor, moving around the page, selecting words, formatting, etc, and even creating custom commands (like tab forward three times, or go to line 25, etc). The radiology versions of software are extremely top heavy and limiting and every time I have pointed out either bugs or design flaws, I get told that the program is supposed to work that way.

It is frustrating especially when I know that there is better stuff out there.

And some of the companies will automatically take out all "and"and "the" as a rule of thumb, as if the programmers decided those are nonsense words (like uh or er). It changes the meaning of sentences and the companies won't do a whole lot about it.

by Everett Lautin | September 20, 2011 8:44 AM EDT

I have used voice recognition software for years.It remains an excellent Beta version and even a pretty good version 1.0 or 2.0. But after more than 10 years it has not significantly improved. It is stuck in mediocrity.

Changes that would vastly improve accuracy and reduce stupid errors are easy to make, yet the hospitals and the software companies seem disinterested in suggestions and the software remains mired in, "well it does get a report out faster."

Improvements are easy. But only if the companies listen and weigh the value of suggestions. This has not happened.

Note: this blog was typed by hand.

by anna mize | September 19, 2011 9:08 PM EDT

I would prefer to not use voice recognition. I use it only because the administration insistsand no longer has transcribers and refuses to hire proof readers. I find it error prone and very difficult.