Integration of digital dictation and speech recognition improve efficiency and productivity
Modernization was in order when La Cava & Jacobson, P.A., launched itself as an independent practice in June 2010. The 12-attorney medical malpractice and civil defense law firm in Tampa, Florida split from a larger organization and acquired the former parent company’s office along with decades-old tape-based dictation equipment.
“The tapes were old and the machines broke frequently,” says partner James D. Wetzel.” With help from their local vendor, the firm began researching a suite of digital dictation and transcription tools. In 2011, after thorough analysis, La Cava & Jacobson choose a dictation software suite with Philips Pocket Memo digital recorders to replace their obsolete equipment and inefficient workflow.
Seamless workflow integration
La Cava & Jacobson’s attorneys were accustomed to dictation, so substituting tape-based recorders with the Pocket Memo devices was seamless — yet it greatly improved the efficiency of the transcription process.
Prior to the switch, attorneys would dictate letters or reports, and then either hand-deliver cassette tapes to their assistants or search for an available transcriptionist. Now, with the digital capabilities of the Pocket Memo combined with the dictation software, attorneys simply dock their recorders at their PCs. The audio files are automatically and securely uploaded to a centralized system that can be accessed by an authorized assistant or typist. The attorney’s dictation can then be transcribed by the first available assistant, or specified support staff.
Improved efficiency with speech recognition
Their Voice Systems representative was able to show La Cava & Jacobson’s attorneys how to further enhance productivity with the use of speech recognition. Integrating speech recognition software within the dictation software workflow solution further automates the transcription process. Attorneys can use speech recognition to create a draft document and send it through the system for completion. Rather than spending the bulk of their time transcribing from scratch, typist only need to proofread the documents created in the speech recognition and make corrections if needed.
For more information, please visit quikscribe.com and digidictate.com
