We recently shared an article on Twitter and Facebook about a GP practice who were able to cut the amount it took them to submit a letter after a patient consultation by 50%. How? Quite simply by switching from an analogue dictation system to a digital dictation system.
It may seem surprising in a world dominated by tablet PCs and smartphones, but analogue dictation machines are still in wide use in many sectors across the UK. We still supply analogue dictation machines and accessories on dictationsupplies.com. However, we always recommend digital machines as they are much more time efficient and a greater aid to productivity.
There are many features of digital dictation machines that make them more time efficient than their analogue counterparts. Below we've shared a few of those reasons.
- No Tapes: One of the main pro points of digital machines is that there are no tapes involved. If there are no tapes, you don't need to waste time replacing and filing tapes. Your dictations will be saved in digital format on your computer, which means that it is much easier to locate files when you need them.
- Instant Transfer of Recordings: Digital machines automatically save your dictation recordings into email-friendly file types. This means you can plug your machine directly into your computer and email the file to whoever it is who will be transcribing the recording. This is especially helpful when using an outsourced transcription service, as it saves the time, money and headaches that come with posting out recordings on analogue tapes.
- Compatibility with Smartphones: Many dictation software producers are now adding compatibility to smartphones such as Blackberries and iPhones. This means that recordings can be easily transferred from your phone to your computer to your dictation machine with ease.
- Dictate on the Go: The nature of digital dictation machines mean that they are much more portable than their analogue counterparts. This means that they're easier to carry round in your briefcase or handbag, and don't require any complicated set up when you need to dictate a message. Dictating on the go helps you to make use of time that would have been wasted otherwise.
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