Voice recognition for vital care

Voice recognition technology converts spoken words into a command, or text entry. The technology goes as far as recognising emotions in speech, assessing language skills, and speaker identification.

Healthcare providers began using speech recognition to generate, document and annotate medical documentation. This task, that had previously been a burden for healthcare workers, was alleviated by voice recognition software. Such software can transcribe encounters three times faster than a human, freeing up time that can be spent with patients.

Due to voice recognition technology becoming easier to use, more affordable and more precise, applications now include assisting patients with cognitive impairments and difficulty in using their hands or fingers due to disability, or injury.

The technology will also make it easier for healthcare professionals to listen to patients with hearing impairments or those who speak a different language. A language barrier that could have once got in the way of receiving medical treatment no longer threatens quality of care thanks to technological advancements.

Smart devices and voice recognition

With millions of homes around the world utilising smart devices and voice assistants such as the Amazon Alexa, hospitals have begun to leverage the technology, creating a new model of care amongst patients.

The devices could play an essential role in care delivery by allowing patients to ask questions, set medication reminders and be reminded of the exercises they should be carrying out. Patients can therefore be in the comfort of their own home whilst receiving medical care from a voice assistant. Within hospitals, patients could also use the devices to call for a doctor or nurse, ask what they are allowed to eat and explain A&E waiting times.

Privacy issues

One key issue with implementing voice recognition in healthcare could be resistance from patients that don’t want to be recorded due to privacy concerns and lack of familiarity surrounding the technology.

Healthcare providers also have their own concerns relating to budgets, personal preference, accuracy, and difficulty integrating the system. Despite this, research by Reaction Data stated that 62% of healthcare providers surveyed are currently using speech recognition technologies.

Expanding voice recognition applications

Technology firms and startups are keen to expand voice recognition capabilities, there is potential for such technologies to significantly improve productivity and transform patient experiences.

The future should see higher adoption rates as the technology continues to improve, needing less human involvement. If the key issues, including data privacy and patient education, preventing healthcare providers from adopting voice recognition technology are addressed, it is likely that adoption rates will improve.