The Microphone Matters

By Dana Abramson

Ninety-five percent of clients who are trained by Achieve Results using our patented training methodology are up-to-speed, working effectively using speech recognition software after just 45-60 minutes of one-on-one training. Contrast that with the successful adoption rate using other training methods, which is around 20%, and I think you'll agree that we've zeroed in on what works.

Jim was the ideal speech recognition student. He is articulate, computer savvy, and excited about what the shift to speaking documents could do for his practice, including speeding his blog posts at www.zifflaw.com/blog, which was taking a fair amount of his time. In fact, he was so gung-ho about it that he had already invested in a top-of-the-line lapel microphone at a cost of around $200. So when he asked, “Would it be OK if I used this?” I hesitated but figured that, given that it’s the Rolls Royce of microphones, it will probably work as well as the headset...
 

Revisited: Program Compatibility

In an earlier article I had discussed why program compatibility plays an important role when working with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.  I discussed why it is necessary to have Microsoft Office updated to ensure ongoing compatibility with Dragon.

Something that I did not cover however, was that even when programs are fully updated, issues may still occur.  Case in point, there is an intermittent issue that occurs when using Dragon with Allscripts, an EMR system used by Medical Professionals.  The issue occurs after the user has finished dictating and the words appear on the screen with a line through them.  This is known as Strikethrough, which looks like this.

In this case both Dragon and Allscripts are on the most recent version.  So what can be done now, if there are no more updates to be applied?  They're typically only two things, 1) wait until a new update is released, and hope that a fix for the issue is covered in that update, or 2) see if a workaround is available.  A "workaround" is something that a user can do on their own, which typically includes modifying a file on their PC.  In this case with Dragon and Allscripts, there is a workaround available for the "strikethrough" issue.

If you are experiencing this issue and would like to know what the workaround is, please feel free to give us a call at (585) 586-4550 extension 223.  The workaround for this issue is covered under our Annual Support Contract.

Subtle modifications can make a big difference

Subtle, almost imperceptible differences apply to much more than the microphone.  Keep this in mind, if you ever feel frustrated while using your software. It is very likely a subtle modification can yield significant improvement. 

As a rule, it should take not more than 45 minutes to an hour to incorporate speech recognition software into your workflow and realize productivity benefits.  Frustration is NOT something you should experience, ever!

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Your comments allow for continuous enhancement to the services we offer our customers. (585)586-4550 x227

My very best,

Dana