Transforming medical transcription services

By Chris Blue, Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations, Focus Informatics

Emerging technology such as digital dictation and speech recognition have revolutionized medical transcription services. Virtually across the board, the medical industry is shifting towards speech recognition, the driving force behind reducing costs without effecting quality.

In addition, this new, cutting-edge technology, coupled with excellent customer service, enables hospitals to increase their ROI with the utilization of offshore labor without any concerns to Patient Healthcare Information. Here’s how it works: Doctor X picks up the phone and dictates in to the dictation system. From there, the voice file is transferred to a different software mechanism that recognizes the dictation stated by Doctor X. Most technology does this by using three different engine levels resulting in a workable document but is usually only 70 percent correct in month one. The document is then passed on to the Medical Transcription Service Organization (MTSO) where the MT’s edit the document, polishing it up to make any needed corrections. Speech recognition is not 100 percent accurate and requires the editor to listen to every job and read every line to determine where errors lie.

Most often, by week 25, with all the feedback and changes the MT editor has given the software, the doctor’s recognition will hopefully be as high as 70 – 95 percent which means less corrections and work for the editor. Feedback from the MT Editor is important because the software may get a certain term wrong the first time but eventually each time the correction is made by the editor that feedback is being passed on to the database for the profile of Doctor X and the next time you say whatever the software got wrong the first time around, in theory the software will get it right the second or third time.

Typically an MTSO simply logs in to the software’s system utilizing their HL7 Interface that is already connected to the Hospitals Health Information System. On most software systems, a password and ID are needed to establish integration.

There are many benefits for large health care organizations to transition to a speech recognition platform. Often hospitals’ objectives are to reduce departmental medical transcription costs, receive faster turnaround times, improve patient care and quality, develop more efficient billing procedures, legal usages, streamlined document distribution and management, and the overall quality of patient care. All of this comes with no change in the workflow process to the way a clinician dictates. However, the success of a speech recognition venture is still based on the same variables of 30 years back; excellent quality is mandatory and contractual turnaround times must be met. At the end of a day, the results of these two items are still based on the human element.

Many hospitals who have already transitioned to speech recognition have seen their Medical Transcription budget drop up to 40 – 50 percent. In addition, they have decreased their turnaround times by as much as 50 percent.

Please keep in mind however, that although technology certainly assists with ROI, quality, quicker turn-around times and billing processes, technology alone is not able to achieve these objectives. MTSO’s, must leverage the desired technology to it’s fullest extent (i.e. earmarking difficult dictations, pending policies, STAT priorities etc.)

MTSO’s must report to the client daily, weekly and quarterly on quality and TAT audit reports as well as providing a quarterly summary of overall cost savings and overall quality for example. Looking at the big picture to watch for trends and potential problems can proactively prevent issues before the client even notices.

When choosing an MTSO, hospitals must ensure they fully examine an MTSO’s scope of services, researching their workflow process as meticulously as possible. How does the MTSO resolve real problem scenarios? Ask them to site you examples. References are key, and typically HIM Directors will cut to the chase and speak quite candidly about their experiences. Remember, once the technology has been installed your day-to-day contact ultimately becomes the medical transcription service company who you hope will excel in customer service. Although RFP’s are a great way to begin the process, phone calls are the best way to determine if both companies have the same goals and objectives required to reduce your overall costs.

Chris Blue: “Chris Blue leads the global efforts in strategy, model and operations of Focus’s extensive sales resources. Offering a rare blend of creative and operational strengths, Blue has been instrumental in helping to direct production efforts to a higher quality standard, achieving Best in KLAS ranking and garnering higher revenue. Receiving an MBA from Suffolk University, Blue possesses over 12 years of executive healthcare leadership in both sales and operations. Working with Focus since 1999, Blue has refined the company’s organizational structure, policies and procedures, program management, practice expansion, and market position.”