About Digital Dictation

If you’re currently using a dictation system, you know first-hand that dictation can be a wonderful tool for increasing your work output. Professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, have long appreciated how dictation and transcription helps to free up more of their time to attend to important concerns.

The persistent problems with tape-based systems have been reliability and expense. Tapes break, motors wear out, service contracts cost a fortune. Today’s digital dictation systems eliminate these issues while adding a few unique benefits of their own.

Reliability

Digital voice recorders, desktop recorders, and telephone dictation systems all have one thing in common: no moving parts (other than buttons and switches). There are no motors to burn out, no capstans to wear, and no record heads that need constant cleaning.

No Service Contracts

In fact, while some dealers might try to sell you a service contract for a handheld digital recorder, American Dictation doesn’t because there’s almost nothing to service. Our tech support is done quickly via remote access, negating the need for expensive on-site visits to remedy technical issues.

Advanced Engineering

While digital sound technology adds advantages, the hardware instruments themselves have evolved to become more ergonomic, studier and better capable of supporting the internal systems that make digital voice recording not only possible but more productive in the workplace.

Ease of Use

Technology does not have to make things more complicated. In fact, new technology should, if it’s done right, make you work and live more productively. Of course, any new technology requires a learning curve. However, professional digital voice recording devices today – from handheld recorders to transcription foot pedals – work much like they do in the analog (tape) world. The biggest differences come in what can be done with the digital recording that you cannot do with a taped recording, such as sending it by e-mail to a transcriptionist or colleague, archiving dictations on CDs, and converting your dictation to text using Speech Recognition.

ROI

Many of our “converts” to digital have been amazed at the cost savings they are realizing since making the switch. Assuming that the cost of a digital recorder is similar to the cost of a professional tape dictation recorder, by switching to digital you do away with service contracts, tape replacements, regular cleanings, and storage costs if you choose to archive your dictations.

Gain Time, Gain Money

We can all agree that time is money. Your time is valuable. With tape-based systems, time is wasted in more ways than allowed with digital dictation:

• No Transportation Costs. Many physicians hire outside transcriptionists. Since digital files can be sent over the Internet, you can end the costly trips to pick up tapes. Rush or “stat” dictations can be sent to the transcriptionist by e-mail or FTP, avoiding huge overnight delivery costs.
• No Lost Dictation. If a tape breaks and the recorder “eats” it, you may lose hours of important dictation. While digital is not 100% foolproof, you can configure most systems to make multiple backup copies of your dictation as soon as it’s saved to a computer.
• No Lost Time. Ever dictate away from the office and need the transcription ASAP? With digital, you can dictate, download, and e-mail your dictation instantly to your transcriptionist. They can return the typed document to you by e-mail as soon as your dictation is typed. No waiting for FedEx deliveries.
• Fewer Errors. Errors take time to proof, correct and proof again. Most transcription errors are due to bad dictation audio. Worn out cassettes and dirty tape recorders are the biggest culprits. With digital, audio recordings are clear and crisp, and the recording “mechanism” never wears out.