Digital Dictation - Deciphering digitized information

Nov 8
12:24

2012

Sharad Gaikwad

Sharad Gaikwad

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Does tape based dictation give you nightmares? If yes, then its time to shrug off your nightmare as technological advancements has created ‘Frankenstein’s fairy’ instead of a monster, that makes lives easier for a transcriptionist as well as dictator.

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One of the recent and popular ways of recording information is through Digital dictation. It has given a whole new dimension to the conventional note taking process,Digital Dictation - Deciphering digitized information Articles which now can happen digitally. To carry out a digital dictation all you need is a digital voice recorder. It not only saves time and money but also enables you to dictate while on the go. Moreover the digital dictation has a faster turnaround time than tapes. 

Once the dictation is over one can connect the recorder to the PC and the document will be transferred within seconds to the typist or transcriptionist. Thanks to technology that the transcriptionist can easily decipher the recording and type it out at ease. It’s a boon both for the dictator and the transcriptionist, in the sense that the former can dictate wherever he is and the latter can write down the notes from crystal clear audio quality. 

Not only can dictators avail the advantage of software but the transcriptionists too are not left behind. There is a step more to it that is a transcriptionist can also add a speech recognition program to it or use online transcription software. The development of such software mechanisms is a helping hand to individuals in various fields, especially medical and technical field.

The online transcription software assists the transcribers by converting audio files to textual documents. The software is a web dependent version of the conventional software used in transcription. It is largely used in medical sector for medical transcription, a growing business, so that the communication between the dictator and the transcriptionist becomes easier. 

With the help of online transcription software the companies can track the hospital demands and requirements without having to actually correspond in person. As there is a flip side to a coin, the software also has some drawbacks to it. Though the software is easily available on the internet but care must be taken to ensure the credibility of the software else it might be a hoax to send viruses into your system.  Before downloading the software one should do his/her homework as it may be prone to hackers and unauthorized users that can hurt the quality of the system. Software like Inscribe, Foot pedal, Waiting Room Solutions and many more all provide full functionality and easy access to the transcriptionists in converting the data. 

To conclude tough Digital dictation and online transcription software reduces the effort on the part of the dictator and transcriptionist but there are certain precautions that have to be taken from both ends. While purchasing a digital voice recorder he/she should ensure that the recorder is of good quality. Moreover, if there are disturbances in the surrounding the voice recorded would not be clear, even if the recorder is of class quality. This in turn would make it hard for the transcriptionist to transcribe the audio files into text. Although there are Online transcription software for this but if the base audio file is not correct even the software cannot help in an error free transcription. Thus, there should be a system of double checking from the transcriptionists end if he/she feels the audio file is wrong in certain areas and overall the transcriber should be well trained or a specialist in the field concerned.