Selecting and implementing a voice recognition system.

A single radiology department serves the three separate organizations that comprise Emory Healthcare in Atlanta--three separate hospitals, the Emory Clinic and the Emory University School of Medicine. In 1996, the chairman of Emory Healthcare issued a mandate to the radiology department to decrease its report turnaround time, provide better service and increase customer satisfaction. The area where the greatest effect could be made without involving the transcription area was the "exam complete to dictate" piece of the reporting process. A committee investigating voice recognition systems established an essential criteria for potential vendors--to be able to download patient scheduling and demographic information from the existing RIS to the new system. Second, the system had to be flexible and straightforward for doctors to learn. It must have a word processing package for easy report correction and editing, and a microphone that would rewind and correct dictation before recognition took place. To keep capital costs low for the pilot, the committee opted for server recognition rather than purchase the expensive workstations necessary for real-time recognition. A switch was made later to real-time recognition. PACS and voice recognition have proven to be highly complementary. Most importantly, the new system has had a tremendous impact on turnaround time in the "dictate to final" phase. Once in the 30-hour range, 65 percent of the reports are now turned around in less than 15 minutes, 80 percent in less than 30 minutes, and 90 percent in less than an hour.