As an Nuance partner, we have had quite a bit of experience both in using, installing and training end users on the setup and use of Dragon Medical. My counterpart, Mr. Bret Williams, wrote the popular e-book, Mastering Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which is available as both a pdf e-book and a Kindle edition. (shameless plug, but it is truly a great tool)
I can say with quite a bit of conviction, that Dragon Medical 10.1, is a technological wonder that does indeed work as advertised, with one caveat: You have to take the time to train the program to your voice and you need to learn the features and functions that will most increase your productivity first.
Dragon speech recognition programs can perform almost any action on your PC that you can do with the use of a mouse and a keyboard, only by using your voice. Imagine trying to learn everything a computer can do, all in one day - impossible to be sure. The same holds true for Dragon Medical.
You can dictate text into almost any Windows based program, search your computer for files, surf the web, edit documents, edit text, log into your EMR, access patient records, send e-mails, and much, much more.
The best approach to obtain maximum productivity, however, is by taking baby-steps. Think of Dragon Medical as a newly hired office manager. The first day or two, you invariably wonder if it is going to work out, or if you have made a costly mistake. With some training and time, however, that employee soon becomes an irreplaceable asset to your office. This example mirrors the experience of introducing voice recognition to your environment.
I find that there is a distinct difference between power users of speech recognition, and those that eventually abandon the technology. It lies in how Dragon NaturallySpeaking is initially set up and introduced to the practitioners workflow. Find the things you do most often that contain repetitive text or actions. This will get you the most "bang for your buck" in the first week or two of work.
Are you constantly dictating the same assessment or procedure over and over again?. Make a simple template, so that when you give the command name, the entire block of text spits out in an instant. That is the real power of Dragon Medical, the ability to create verbal shortcuts to speed up your daily work.
Create a signature command including your address, designations, etc. This can be incredibly helpful when dictating referrals or emails.
Slowly introduce web searches, e-mail use, desktop search and variable text commands as you become used to using Dragon, and have a greater understanding of it's, well, nuance's. (pun intended)
Equally important, is where you purchase your Dragon Medical software. While we, of course, would like to be the partner you choose, should you go elsewhere, be sure that your dealer is knowledgeable, available and truly interested in your success with the product. This is a program that can save you tens of thousands of dollars and countess hours of your precious time. Do not make the mistake of simply searching for the lowest price. It will surely cost you in the long run.
By taking an open minded, gradual approach to your Dragon and the powers it beholds, you will soon become it's master, and not it's servant.
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