Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio, has begun using voice-recognition technology that lets computers transcribe physicians' dictations and enter notes directly into patients' electronic health records, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
The computer system, called eScription, has reduced the amount of time after dictation for radiology reports to be delivered to radiologists from two hours to 18 minutes.
Productivity at Mount Carmel has increased 82% because of the new system, Darla Foltz, director of transcription at Mount Carmel, said. Transcriptionists -- who can work from home with equipment and Internet connections -- can edit the drafts in two minutes for every minute of dictation, compared with three minutes for every minute of dictation with the previous system. Accuracy also has increased from 98% to 99%, the Dispatch reports.
Mount Carmel has generated additional revenue by using the system to edit transcriptions for 24 outside clients, which was one of the goals of the system, Foltz said (Curet, Columbus Dispatch, 6/18).