Microcomputer voice-recognition program in a hospital emergency department.

A software program for voice-controlled text creation was used on a microcomputer in the emergency medical department of a large hospital. It was found that automated speech recognition (ASR) permitted doctors to produce their reports faster and more accurately than handwriting or dictation to tape. In addition, ASR reporting is cheaper than dictation to tape. Other advantages include the automatic creation of computer-stored patient files that can be used for statistical purposes. There were a few minor drawbacks, including the need for a procedure for training the system to recognize the user's voice.