Human Medical Transcription vs. AI Software

It seems like everything is “smart” these days, including the software used for tasks once done exclusively by humans. Sure, there’s something to be said for convenience. If we’re talking about medical transcription and the various tasks involved, though, there are many compelling reasons to work with a medical transcription company. That said, AI software does have some things going for it. Below, we compare human transcription and AI software.

EHR Transcription

With electronic health records, there are certain tasks of a more basic nature AI software can handle. On the human side of things, there can be times when what to enter into the system is based, in part, on what’s preferred by the client or what applies to a particular specialized field. AI software isn’t as adept at considering client-specific factors that may apply. For this reason, it is better to go with human transcriptionists over AI-based transcription when EHRs are involved.

Human transcriptionists are also able to quickly make adjustments if EHR guidelines change, but AI-based transcription software has to be updated – which isn’t an immediate process. Even occasional EHR errors here and there can affect a practice’s reputation. Yes, it’s possible to make corrections, but delays can have a serious impact on revenue flow, especially for smaller practices.

Word-for-Word Transcription

Artificial intelligence, by nature, is capable of improving accuracy over time. With voice recognition, however, human transcriptionists have an edge over AI-based transcription software if we’re talking about accurate verbatim transcription. According to a comparison of human transcription error rates to software, there was a noticeable difference. Human transcriptionists had an average error rate of 4 percent, and the error rate with software was 12 percent. With transcription, AI-based software can also have a higher error rate due to issues with:

• Accents and dialects
• Unique speech patterns and vocal inflections
• Side talk and background sounds
• Punctuation
• Differences with word meanings

Personalization (and Industry Jargon)

Despite what’s been depicted in movies and on TV, there’s not a lot of room for personalization with AI software. In other words, human transcriptionists are able to get a better feel for what works for a particular client. The medical field also has a lot of jargon that can be difficult to figure out, especially with more specialized practices. Human transcriptionists typically have a broader range of knowledge with these terms. This is especially true if transcription involves other fields, such as legal firms or insurance-related work.

The Human Touch Still Makes a Big Difference

While AI software has improved over the years, human transcriptionists are still much better at understanding the various nuances and factors that make humans, well, human. It’s also worth noting a medical transcription company focused on client needs and quality will find ways to utilize newer technologies. So, this is another reason to consider keeping that human touch in the mix with your transcription service needs.