Computer-based speech recognition as an alternative to medical transcription

The purpose of this report is to describe the author's experience using computerized dictation during routine outpatient medical practice. During a six-month period, patients seen by the author in the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic at the University of Virginia were assigned to human or computer-based transcription. Of 1,129 notes, 580 were completed by a transcriptionist and 549 by computer. The total time spent dictating and editing notes was approximately one minute more for computerized dictation than for a human transcriptionist (379.81 +/- 132.69 sec vs. 326.14 +/- 126.02 sec; P < 0.0001). Notes generated by computer were slightly longer than notes generated by a transcriptionist (52.42 +/- 16.45 lines vs. 50.41 +/- 16.73 lines; P = 0.0422). Of notes generated by a transcriptionist, 139 (24 percent) were completed within two days of the visit, whereas all notes generated by computer were completed on the day of the visit.