The Data Protection Act 1998 passed by the Parliament has given rise to a massive transformation in the
process of medical transcription in the United Kingdom. A plethora of patient healthcare information
which is dictated by medical professionals including the kind that is maintained by the hospital, for
instance surgery information, clinic reports, consultation information and laboratory test reports
have also been covered within the Act. Even though the Act doesn’t specifically mention the issue of
privacy, it still makes it obligatory for data controllers counting companies as well as individuals to act in
accordance with the many provisions of the Act, which includes the right for privacy. This Act has given
rise to the development of newer technologies which make sure that the data of a patient is maintained
with maximum privacy possible.
The picture earlier in the 21st century
With the 21st century came the introduction of digital dictation machines in the United Kingdom along
with many other countries of the world. These dictation machines are of two types: one being the digital
note-takes and the other one being digital dictation phones via the use of push-button technology. The
digital note takers work well for personal use, whereas the digital dictation phones are found to be more
functional and handy since they have folders that can be used for different purposes. You can easily
edit the data before it is transmitted and using the software is also a very easy job. Nonetheless, using
these gadgets can be a tedious task on a regular basis since they need to be connected to the computer
with the use of a USB cable to transfer data. Furthermore, the push-button type does not work well with
analogue systems due to the inconvenience caused by handling buttons.
Innovation in technology
In recent times, with the development of different types of transcription equipment such as digital tapes
and digital voice processing instruments, innovation has dominated the field of medical transcription.
Medical transcription is now achievable in the United Kingdom as a home based exercise as well as
a large scale business enterprise. Recent developments in technology have now made it possible to
record dictations with the help computers. The reduction in the price of the computer memory has
also made it possible to manufacture digital voice recorders at a very affordable rate. In addition to this,
there has been a fall in the charges of consumables as well as repair and service rates. There has been
such a massive change in the field of computer technology that using voice recognition technology to
transcribe audio dictation needs no or negligible involvement of secretaries or transcribers.
Rising technology
A new stage known as the Health Space will now make it possible for patients to access their own
medical records in the UK. The latest UK version of the cloud-based technology which includes the
solution for background speech recognition transcription has already been accepted for use by the
National Health Service. With the help of this platform, the NHS trusts and healthcare institutions have
got an N# secure background which helps improve the patients’ safety and also their care through
workflow automation, thus decreasing the cost of transcription and improving the time period of
deliveries. The background speech recognition software has turned out to be a really effective option
to digital phones for the purpose of dictation hitherto having being used in the United Kingdom. With
the help of this technology, dictations can be converted into draft documents in favor of editing and
reviewing, thus greatly improving efficiency.
Although, at least in the near future, machines won’t be replacing the need of humans in the
transcription process, however that is just a question of desirability because understanding and
judgment would always be an important part of the process. But our quick journey in this field in the
last few years is commendable.
