Radiology report production times: voice recognition vs. transcription

Computer-based voice-recognition software has many potential advantages in producing reports of radiology procedures. Using voice-recognition systems, however, necessitates increased involvement of the radiologist in the process of producing the report. The radiologist, previously responsible only for recording a report onto tape and ensuring the integrity of the final report now becomes obligated to interact with the computer and to ensure the integrity of the transcription process as well as the accuracy of the final report. Two attending radiologists and one first-year radiology resident at an academic medical center timed the production of reports using both the voice recognition system and tape transcription of reports of plain films (n = 27), mammograms (n = 25), and GI/GU exams (n = 17). In addition, the taped dictations were transcribed and then corrected by the physicians. The additional correction time (determined as an average) was added to the tape times to produce a "corrected" tape time. Paired T-Test procedures were used to determine if pairs of readings (voice recognition vs. corrected tape transcription) differed in length of time. In addition, the data was stratified into three groupings--plain film, mammography, and GI/GU--in order to assess for differences between modalities. The length of time required to produce a radiology report using the commercial radiology voice recognition system employed at our center is significantly longer than that required by the traditional corrected tape transcription system. One motivation to use a voice recognition system is the cost savings achieved by eliminating transcriptionists and replacing them with the radiologist using the voice recognition system. In our institution this cost savings is estimated to be $100,000 annually. This apparent cost savings is reduced by the cost of the lost productivity of the radiologist. Compared to tape transcription, our data demonstrate a significant increase in the amount of time necessary for radiologists to produce a radiology report when using the voice recognition system currently employed in our hospital. While it is likely that future systems will require less extra time, this factor needs to be accounted for when departments consider using such systems to replace transcriptionists with radiologists.