Audacity Audio offers several different enterprise solutions to corporate level customers. All of these solutions are customized to the individual needs of the customer and usually involve integration of subject demographic information into the Audacity program. For instance, in a medical office setting, the doctor's patient schedule and patient demographics are preloaded into the PDA from the practice database. The doctor selects the patient from a list and begins to dictate. Since the name and other demographics are already embedded into the file, the doctor need not worry about it. This information is automatically delivered with the file and can be used to route and process the file. It can even print to the text page automatically. It is quick and easy for everyone and more important, it is accurate since the demographics flow from the database to the printed page with no user input. This is popular with busy doctors and hospitals concerned about accuracy.

Read the following paper for a more complete view.

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Incorporating Patient Schedules and Demographics into the Dictation Process

A White Paper covering three different methods used by Audacity Digital Voice Recorder Products to pre-populate dictation files with schedules and patient (subject) demographics.

This paper specifically covers the Audacity Palm-based dictation products. A key advantage of PDA-based dictation is the ability to make the dictation process more intelligent and integrated into the mobile professional's workflow. Integrating the doctor's schedule and patient demographics into the dictation is an example of this capability. Throughout this paper I refer to doctors and patients, but I am only choosing the doctor to represent a specific example of the larger mobile professional community.

Pre-populating a file with demographics is useful for two reasons. It makes the dictation process easier for the doctor as he no longer has to dictate a patient name, number, etc. to begin the file. He simply makes a selection and begins to record. An even larger advantage is the accuracy factor. The patient demographic information is entered once into the source database and is automatically incorporated into the dictation. It is then transported with the voice file and can be displayed onto the printed page without any user intervention. There is no dictating of the demographics, no interpreting the dictation, and no chance for error. This is a huge advantage. Have you ever been involved in a hospital where an important dictation gets assigned to the wrong patient? It is a big mess and a major crisis. I've heard that 2% of the dictations get assigned incorrectly. That is a huge number. This concept will cut that number substantially.

This paper covers three completely different approaches to achieving our objective. The first uses a CSV file (a very standard file export format) exported from a Practice Management system or a hospital database that includes the daily schedules and patient demographics for all the doctors. The file is then processed by the Audacity system and the schedule for each doctor is downloaded into his PDA at the start of the workday. The second approach uses the Palm address book. The Audacity Voice Recorder Professional Edition includes a link to the address book and can import data via the link. The third approach is web oriented. The Audacity Voice Recorder Professional Web Edition application is used in conjunction with a PDA web browser and an institution-based web server with linked database.

The three approaches range from very simple -- the address book link, to very involved - the web approach.

There is a market for each. We will explore them in the following sections.

CSV file import-This approach is the most popular and is applicable over a wide range of situations. Each application is customized to the particular situation, but the costs and implementation process are relatively modest.

I will use a medical clinic for my example. Most clinics keep their patient schedules, demographics, histories, results, etc. in a database. Most database programs have the ability to run custom queries and export the results into a CSV file. The Audacity LAM program uses this CSV file to create a doctors schedule including the patient demographics. The doctor starts his day by performing a HotSync between his Palm and the designated PC. On the Audacity home screen the doctor's schedule is displayed. A typical entry might be 10:00A 0412 Tom Jones. This is the 10 AM appointment for Tom Jones on April 12.

The doctor may view the schedule throughout the day. When he is ready to dictate he selects the Tom Jones entry. The program jumps to the record screen and displays pertinent information about Tom. It includes the patient name field with Tom Jones, a patient number field with his official clinic identifier, and a field that lists his chief complaint. If the chief complaint were "broken leg", it would be shown in a single line. If the chief complaint is a paragraph explaining the details of the problem, the line says "See Note". Click the note icon to view the full paragraph. To record, press the record button for full record functions.

The schedule entries are color coded so the doctor can keep track of which entries are awaiting documentation and which are complete. Later, the doctor can append to the file, if he chooses. If the doctor sees an unscheduled patient, he can create a new file by tapping the "NEW" button.

At the end of the day the doctor will HotSync again. The Audacity LAM application will transfer the files and automatically send them to the designated location. A HotSync can be performed more often if needed, or if a wireless network is used, the files can be individually sent when completed.

The example used is just that, an example. Since it is customized, it can be configured to include any type of information. If many fields of demographics are desired, no problem, but Audacity will only display a limited number of fields. All included fields are transmitted with the file.

Address Book Link-A very easy way to import a patient schedule and demographics is by using the Palm address book. The address book link is an included feature of the Audacity Voice Recorder Professional Edition. It is simple, cheap, and user configurable.

At the close of each day, the doctor's receptionist enters the doctor's following day schedule into the doctor's Palm desktop address book. She enters the appointment time, patient name, patient number, and the chief complaint. In the morning the doctor performs a HotSync and the schedule and demographic info is synced with his Palm. During the day the doctor can review his schedule by checking his address book. His schedule appears in chronological order at the beginning of the list. When he is ready to dictate he taps the "patient" box on the Audacity record screen. The patient list in his address book appears. He makes a selection and the entry populates the recording file information fields. He completes the recording and sends the file off (HotSync or wireless). The demographics accompany the file.

The address book link is pretty simple. The type of data shown is only limited by your imagination. The procedure could be automated somewhat by employing some of the techniques used in the CSV file import method outlined above. A CSV file could be exported from the Practice Management database and the file manually imported into the Palm Contact List. Usually this would be easier than having someone type the data manually each day. In most cases the CSV Practice Management output file would need to be massaged by a program to create an appropriate CSV file to import into the Palm Contact List (formerly called the Address Book). Audacity Audio would be happy providing assistance to create this program.

Web based input-This method uses the web to access patient information and then pulls in enough of this information to complete the required file demographics. This is the ultimate solution and I predict that someday many companies will use this method. The downside is that it requires a major commitment by the institution to disseminate their information via the web, but isn't that the trend anyway?

Most institutions keep their data in a database. Wouldn't it be nice to link a web server to this database and give the doctor access to their schedule, patient information, the latest procedures, charge information, and the list goes on and on. With the proper access security in place, the doctor can access this information from anywhere. For that matter so could the nurses, the administrators, and even the patients. See why I like this method! The Palm has a web browser that could access this database. I am assuming the database will format the information for a desktop, if that is the browser used, or for a PDA, if that is used. Assume I use my Palm Tungsten/C using an 802.11b wireless access point. Using the Palm Web Browser, I access the Hospital database and my patient schedule, which links me to the complete patient record. I view pictures, text, and even X-rays from my Palm. When I get ready to dictate the results of my evaluation, I simply tap the "dictate" button on the web site and the Audacity DVR Professional Web Edition launches. I find myself on the Audacity record screen. The patient demographics are already populating my screen and I simply start recording. When I finish, I hit the "back arrow" and return to the web site at the spot I left off. I continue to my next patient.

Does this sound like a scene from a science fiction thriller? It's not. This technology is available now.

This concept may take a while to catch on as it really takes a commitment by the institution to deliver these services via a web solution, but everything these days is going web based. Why?? Because it makes sense. Access is so universal that our lives will continue to become more and more web based. PDA's and smart cell phones are all providing access to the web. It makes a lot of sense in a medical setting. Forward-looking institutions will lead the way.

Once the institution is committed to delivering web-based information, the hooks required for the dictation link are minimal. Audacity Audio will be happy to provide these links to interested institutions. The doctors will love the convenience and the hospitals will love the increased accuracy. A win-win situation.

I repeat. Someday this is the way it will be done. Mark my words. The web is too powerful to ignore. Someday most dictation will be done on a PDA. The intelligence that the PDA adds is too powerful to ignore. Combining the two. Well, that is really, really, powerful!! With Audacity Audio, the future can be today.

Fred L. Clark
President
Audacity Audio