Digital Recording:

Enhanced recording:

• High quality voice recording
• Digital devices – small, handy and lightweight
• Virtually unlimited recording capacity via memory cards
• High compression rate and optimum playback through professional .dss standard
• Easy editing, inserting and annotation capabilities
• Integrated workflow management

Enhanced transcription:

• Full transcription management speeds workflow, optimizes capacity utilization and reduces cost
• Facility to prioritize, ID, time stamp or catalogue dictations
• Ability to e-mail dictations from anywhere to everywhere!
• Excellent sound quality

Digital dictating machines tend to be split up into four areas, digital notetakers, digital dictation with push buttons technology, digital dictation with slide (function) switch control, and digital transcription.

Olympus, Philips, Grundig and Sanyo all offer their own digital notetakers. Basically these are for personal use. The main reason for this is that every time you stop and start whilst recording, a new file is started. This means that if you downloaded these files and sent to them to a secretary, the secretary would find it very difficult to transcribe. Additionally some of the recorders will record in a file type that cannot be easily transcribed using the normal digital transcription kits.

When it comes to proper digital dictaphones, then there are a number of factors you want to be aware of. Some for example have buttons that need pushed, which is awkward if you are used to using the analogue tape based systems with the slider switch on the side.
Many have various folders you can use, so for example you could have folder A for work notes, folder B for dictation, folder C for reports etc. Most digital dictaphones will also allow you to edit the recordings before you transfer them. For instance, how often have you ended your dictation, and added something at the end that should have been in the second paragraph? Well now you can insert the extra bit exactly where you want it, without overwriting your work.

Something else worth considering is the transfer of the data on the digital dictaphone. All digital dictating machines will have USB cables that you can attach in order to connect to the PC for transfer, however for a regular user this can become a chore. Therefore you might need to look at docking stations.

Docking stations have two advantages, firstly for the ease of transfer of the data and secondly many of the professional dictating machines can have their rechargeable batteries charged up whilst in the docking station. Be aware that not all machines will charge up on docking stations, fully check the specifications of the dictphone before you buy it if this is a feature you require.

Of course there is no point in dictating your work, if there is no way to transcibe it. For most busy people, the most effective way is using a human, as many find speech recognition systems too complicated and inaccurate.

For secretaries, digital transcription systems are much preferred to the tape based transcribers. The sound is much better and they can allocate their work much better.

All the manufacturers offer their own versions of transcription kits, and you might even find that the Olympus will accept the Philips files for example. However not all files are compatible, so unless it is critical that you have the same system setup as the author, many people are finding that universal transcription kits are helpful. These include WAVpedal and StartStop to name two available. RKM Communicator can always provide advice or a dictation machine.

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Digital Dictation:

The process begins when the author dictates into a digital voice recorder, much the same way they would dictate into any handheld voice recorder. When finished, the author simply uploads the files from their digital voice recorder to their computer. To upload the files from the recorder, the recorder is connected to the computer with a USB cable, usually included with the digital voice recorder at time of purchase, or can use a docking station. At this point, software either included with the digital voice recorder or other software, recognizes there has been a connection made and a window will pop up asking the user where the files should be saved.

The user then saves the files to the directory of their choice. This process can be automated to always save the recording into a folder on the network for example. Once the files are uploaded to the computer, the process is finished and the connection can be removed. For sending via email the author then opens their e-mail program and prepares a message to send to his/her transcriptionist and, using the “attach a file” feature available in most e-mail programs, attaches the digital files that were just uploaded and saved from their handheld recorder to a directory on their computer. The e-mail is then sent, encrypted, to the transcriptionist with the file attached.

It is very important to note that each and every e-mail, especially those containing a digital file whose contents are personal and confidential information on individuals, should only ever be sent by encrypted e-mail. If you do not encrypt e-mail that includes for example private patient health files, it makes the e-mail a possible target for hackers who may intercept and open the e-mail. Once intercepted, the hacker may use the contents somehow to their advantage, i.e., to embarrass the doctor and/or transcriptionist, citing their lack of concern about privacy, or use the private patient information for personal, financial, or other gain. If you do not want to risk your reputation or that of your client, and want to ensure that a client or patient’s records are always protected in transit, you have to use e-mail encryption.

When the transcriptionist receives an encrypted e-mail, the file is opened and then brought into your PC transcription system using software that comes with the digital transcription systems available. Using the software the secretary can then manipulate the digital voice file with the foot pedal. From there, everything works just as it does on a regular tape transcriber. The foot pedal controls movements through the voice file just like moving through a conventional tape.

The software includes features not found on a tape transcriber machine, including being able to move immediately to certain points in the dictation with no time delay and usually far greater control over the speed of the playback. After finishing transcribing the files, the secretary simply e-mails the finished reports, as an attachment (digitally signed and encrypted, of course), back to the author’s office for filing or printing there.

That is the process generally, and some things may differ according to the type of system, recorder, software, being used. The point is, it is not a difficult process. It is efficient, secure, and easy to get started.

Problems For Doctors:

• Backlogged typing.
• Missed turn-around times.
• The shortage of experienced medical typists.
• Overall quality of reports.

Digital Dictation System allows 24-hour access from anywhere, providing the ultimate in convenience & accuracy for doctors!

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Features:

The digital features of RKM Communicator Dictation System include:

• Dictation ‘captured’ from a variety of recording options.
• Automatic attachment of each transcript to each patient’s record.
• Full Edit, Search, and View capabilities, plus verified via Electronic Signatures.
• Audio voice playback & keypad mirroring.
• Flexible enough to start dictating right away!
• ‘Real Time’ Report Delivery. Transcribed reports can be tracked according to their status: pending, under correction, under review, or signed. This enables you to keep track of all of your reports online and to optimize the time you spend on the overall report process.

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