There is a wide array of analog and digital dictation devices available on the market for pathology laboratories.
The old analog cassette transcribers still exist in pathology laboratories and transcriptionists' offices. The transcriptionist would pick up the cassette, transcribe it, erase the tape, and return it to the prosector. One issue with this system was that the tapes could lose their magnetic qualities over time. Digital systems overcame that. However, analog systems are occasionally used as backups.
There are several companies operating in the digital dictation, transcription, voice and speech recognition market specifically designed for anatomic pathology.* Below are some examples of their products:
The software applications incorporate speech recognition, digital dictation, customizable templates, and an assortment of input devices, providing direct integration with the department's LIS. SRTs can accommodate some accented voices with such systems as Dragon Medical One and VoiceOver PRO, which provide accented voice profiles for Australian English, Indian English, and Southeast Asian English. Furthermore, VoiceOver PRO report builder also contains tools for synoptic reporting, CAP content, a library of standardized gross, microscopic, and diagnostic templates, and calculators for scoring systems such as a Gleason score.
In the following pages, we will use the Dragon Medical One system as an example of a speech recognition system.
*Note: The following training may contain the names or trademarks of various third parties, and if so, any such use is solely for illustrative purposes only. All products and company names are trademarked™ or registered® trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliations with endorsement by or association of any kind between them and authors.
