Voice Recognition Software in Medical Imaging Continues to Evolve

Voice recognition software has been shown to reduce report turnaround time and holds promise for populating and mining structured reports -- but not all radiologists are convinced. Many users still find the software cumbersome and error prone, as seen in a recent informal Diagnostic Imaging poll where 80 percent of respondents said they use it, but 30 percent of them reported frustration with the software. And radiologists have steep demands for the software, experts said. With their need for accuracy and use of complex terms, fast-talking radiologists really put the systems to the test. "Radiologists are trying to provide an enormous amount of documentation in a very short period of time, accurately, and they are experts at grinding through that workflow and process as fast as they can," said Joe Petro, senior vice president of research and development for Nuance Healthcare. "They hold us to a much, much higher standard."