Background

The Integrated Musculoskeletal Department of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust was looking for a replacement for its old digital dictation system.

This was part of the transfer of undertakings and protection of the earnings process.

When looking for a new system, the department identified the following requirements: A system that is compatible with their EPR system: EMIS Web. Secondly, it wanted a system that is less problematic and “less prone to drop off”.

Finding The Perfect Fit

The initial driver for a change in solution was due to the service moving to a different trust. Therefore, the old dictation system was no longer licensed or available.

Subsequently, a quick replacement had to be implemented. The smooth running of the clinic and the achievement of specific NHS targets was paramount in this transition.

VoicePower was previously involved in a similar pilot scheme within other departments within the Trust.

Consequently, they were asked to provide support, training, and guidance in implementing Dragon Medical One within the IMSK department.

Expert Advice

VoicePower worked closely with the administration team to create a workflow. Together, they created a workflow that allowed the Clinicians to create consultation notes and patient letters within EMIS Web.

Ultimately, this meant that reports are generated instantly and this can speed up distribution.

Most importantly, the workflow allows the patient to be seen in the clinic and a letter dictated contemporaneously. Following this, it is then checked by the Clinician immediately and reviewed by the admin team.

The admin team can then ensure all attachments and ‘copies to’ are completed. The letters are then printed and distributed accordingly.

As well as providing the Clinicians with one-to-one training sessions and quick start hand-outs, VoicePower also offered ongoing support.

Meaning, following implementation, the team could confide in their provider with any issues via telephone, email and remote connection.

Dragon Medical One: The Solution

Dragon Medical One is a cloud-based speech recognition solution that provides fast, accurate and secure document creation.

Its lightweight deployment meant that it was accessible within both main and satellite clinics for the Clinicians to report with. The software can also easily be deployed onto laptops where necessary.

Furthermore, Dragon Medical One offers usage reports through its analytical database. This enables administrators to review progress, efficiency gains and levels of use by the Clinicians.

With VoicePower’s expert training, a process was created to compose patient letters within EMIS Web.

Additionally, VoicePower helped to successfully implement the solution to meet the needs and requirements of the department and individuals.

The IMSK team at Morecambe Bay Hospital produced a time and motion study.

The study looked at the previous digital dictation solution in comparison to Dragon Medical One. Criteria for the study were how long a letter takes to be dictated, checked and distributed.

They found that the turnaround time was dramatically lower using the new solution.

Dragon Medical One helped the Department produce consistent letter templates through the use of auto-text commands.

Another big difference in the service has been the reduction of admin typing. Most importantly, this will enable the admin team to engage in clinic management, patient care, and other tasks.

Watch a client demonstration of Dragon Medical One.

The Benefits of Dragon Medical One

The Trust found that the turnaround times of letters were dramatically reduced using the new Dragon Medical One.

The solution helped the Medical Department to produce consistent letter templates through the use of auto-text commands. Another big difference in the service has been in terms of reduction of admin time typing.

This will enable the admin team to engage in clinic management, patient care, and other tasks.

“Speech recognition has enabled immediate letters to be sent to A&E in cases of suspected cord compression. The letter is then given to the patient to take with them.” – Jonathan Ashton, Consultant Physiotherapist at Morecambe Bay Hosptial

It’s not just Jonathan who is happy with Dragon Medical One:

“Overall feedback from colleagues has been positive. It is a straightforward and intuitive process to use. Great care has to be taken in the immediate review of clinic letters to ensure accuracy. Dragon is well supported in terms of existing vocabularies. It’s easy to use and to add new words.” – Jonathan Ashton, Consultant Physiotherapist at Morecambe Bay Hosptial