Where Voice Technology Fits In Today's Metric-Driven Healthcare Industry

WHERE VOICE TECHNOLOGY FITS IN TODAY’S
METRIC-DRIVEN HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

Is It Time for Healthcare to
“Cut the Cord” on Keyboards?
5 Key Healthcare Metrics CIOs Are Using to Size Up
the Impact of Voice Solutions for Patient-Facing Care
Smart, hands-free, mobile, voice solutions have arrived in the healthcare
industry and progressive CIOs are taking the power of voice to the
front lines of patient care. Surveys show that greater than 97% of
patient‑facing clinicians, nurses and doctors want to step away from the
keyboard and leverage intelligent voice solutions to capture patient data
in real time, at the point of care. Is your IT team ready to respond to the
call for voice? Here are 5 healthcare metrics that may help you decide.
HEALTHCARE CIOS
ARE RAISING THE
BAR ON 5 KEY
HEALTHCARE METRICS
BY LEVERAGING
MOBILE, VOICEDRIVEN TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS AT THE
PATIENT’S BEDSIDE.

Forecasts for technology in healthcare

In the same way the healthcare industry has

continue to focus on EHR adoption, Clinical

witnessed the adoption of network-enabled

Decision Support and Security – all trends that

mobile devices like smartphones and tablets,

garner top billing on CIOs “IT To‑Do” lists. But

voice technology, now ubiquitous in the

beyond these mega-IT projects, progressive

automotive, telecom and consumer electronics

CIOs are also focusing on a technology trend

markets, has arrived in healthcare. Industry

that supports the most critical resource a

analysts believe that voice technology is

healthcare system has – frontline clinicians.

still under-utilized in healthcare, but will see
increased adoption in 2014 and could be

Investments in
mobile, interactive
voice technology for
frontline clinical staff
are on the rise.

used pervasively by 2016. They estimate that

Beyond health system

technology is impacting the front lines of

changes and requirements to deploy

patient care in top hospitals around the

EHR systems, CIOs and CNIOs at the most

country.

significant ROI will come from the integration
of speech with EMR – an area where adopters
can point to increased efficiencies, savings
and faster turnaround times1,2. This proven

progressive hospitals in the United States are
investing in technology at the bedside. These
information and informatics leaders recognize
that accurate patient information, available at
the point of care, improves patient-centered
care, outcomes and safety. Further, when

CLINICIAN-DESIGNED VOICE
SOLUTIONS FOR PATIENT-FACING
CARE REPLACE TETHERED DATA INPUT
TOOLS AND BRING A CONVERSATION
ABOUT CARE BACK TO THE BEDSIDE.

investments in EHR deployment can be
magnified and leveraged to deliver real-time
patient data to all EHR-connected teams,
metrics from improved HCAHPS to declining
error rates are impacted.
©2013 VoiceFirst by Honeywell. All Rights Reserved.

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1: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/product-spot‑
light-speech-recognition?page=1
2: http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/electron‑
ic-medical-records/speech-recognition-booms-as-ehr-adop‑
tion/240149586

www.VoiceFirstSolutions.com

Healthcare Industry Whitepaper | 2

Voice solutions have moved beyond one-way dictation devices
that doctors have used in their offices to improve note taking
and transcribe patient data. Smart voice solutions are becoming
interactive, natural language solutions that overlay EMR systems
and allow clinicians, nurses and doctors to have two-way
conversations with record management systems and the patient.

5 Ways Mobile, Hands-Free Voice
Solutions Impact the Front Lines of
Patient Care

1

Improved HCAHPS Scores (CAHPS® Hospital
Survey, Hospital Consumer Assessment of
Healthcare Providers and Systems)

By 2015, healthcare providers participating in accountable
care organizations will have to provide evidence that the care
they’ve delivered produced value for the patient – as reported
by the patient. Improving and maintaining patient satisfaction
with physician and clinician services is paramount. Healthcare
facilities’ HCAHPS scores directly impact their reimbursements
and are already being used by consumers to evaluate and rank
healthcare providers and facilities.

RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE AMOUNT OF FACETO-FACE TIME A CLINICIAN SPENDS WITH A PATIENT
MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN
DETERMINING PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES
PROVIDED.
Increased clinician time with patients, particularly time spent
having direct eye contact, has been shown to increase a patient’s
overall satisfaction with care and the outcome of care. Moreover,
research from the New England Medical Center and the University
of California at Davis confirm that patient satisfaction increases
with the amount of face-to-face time with clinicians. These
studies indicate that patient satisfaction increases directly impact
patient outcome (another key metric we’ll discuss) as well as a
patient’s participation in the decision-making process for their
care.
CIOs deploying mobile, hands-free EMR voice overlay technology
are helping patient-facing clinicians “cut the cord” to computer
screens, keyboards and workstations on wheels that distract from
hands-on patient care.
Intelligent voice-enabled EMR interaction increases hands-on
nursing time. Patients report greater satisfaction with their
overall care and are more involved with their care. Advances
in EMR voice-overlay technology allow clinicians to have an
actual conversation with the EMR without looking away from
the patient to consult charts and without interrupting care to
type on keyboards. Custom care protocols and workflows guide


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clinicians through procedures using natural language interaction,
and patient data is updated in the EMR in real time – all through
voice-driven interactions.

3

Improved Patient Outcomes and Improved
Clinical Documentation

Healthcare teams know that increased hands-on time with
Leveraging hands-free, voice-powered patient record

patients is critical to impacting patient outcomes and quality care

management, clinicians shift their focus from the tablet,

delivery. What better way to improve patient care than by having

computer screen and keyboard to the patient and have a direct,

patient-facing clinicians spend more time with the patient and

measureable impact on patient satisfaction and care outcomes.

less time charting and manually updating EMR data?

2

Increased time with patients translates to improved
patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Reduced Post-Shift Charting Overages
and Errors

A recent Johns Hopkins study indicated that clinicians are

Clinicians talk with their patients to make the most accurate

spending less time interacting with patients and more time

assessments at the point of care. Whether the assessment is

on indirect patient care – interacting with electronic records

in the emergency room, at the patient’s bedside or during a

management tools and conducting patient research.

physical therapy evaluation, frontline clinicians depend on verbal
communication to “get it right.” Now clinicians can harness the
power of natural conversation to directly interact with their EMR

Indirect Patient Care

systems. No more post-visit or end-of-shift record management
– the patient’s record is accurate at the point of care and the

Direct Patient Care

clinician, nurse and doctor are freed from dictation devices,
keyboards and transcription.

Miscellaneous Activities
(walking)

Using wireless mobile device technology, clinicians can now

Educational Actvities
(Medical Rounds)

access their EMR systems, update records and retrieve patient

All information and data courtesy of Johns
Hopkins. Presentation by PhysBizTech.

information with the power of their voice. The EMR system can
also respond via voice, creating a seamless, patient-centered
conversation where and when it is most valuable, at the point of

Thought leaders in healthcare indicate that patient care

care.

outcomes and overall patient satisfaction can be improved by
increasing time spent on direct patient care.3,4 As noted earlier,

Voice-enabled real-time charting reduces errors and delays

eye contact with patients is shown to improve care satisfaction

in patient record management and reduces the overall cost

and confidence in care provided. Leveraging hands-free, voice-

of patient care. Post-shift charting overages contribute to

powered patient record management, clinicians can shift their

increased care costs, but they also negatively impact clinician

focus from the tablet, computer screen and keyboard to the

job satisfaction. The adoption of voice solutions at the patient’s

patient.

bedside reduces clinician fatigue and increases overall clinician
satisfaction in the workplace.

VOICE-POWERED EMR WORKFLOWS SPEED PATIENT
DATA ENTRY, A KEY COMPONENT OF PERFORMANCE
REPORTING.

With an intelligent EMR voice overlay solution, clinicians
can have a conversation with their EMR system ensuring

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are a critical

a higher quality of patient care, reduced patient record

component of assessing whether clinicians are improving the

errors and clinical documentation improvement (CDI).
These measurable efficiencies have immediate impacts on
patient outcome, quality of care delivery and a hospital’s
bottom line.


health of patients. Patient-reported measures are expected to
play a more prominent role in assessing hospital and clinician
3: http://www.avaya.com/uk/resource/assets/casestudies/sonora%20uc4585.pdf
4: http://www.medicalpracticeinsider.com/news/business/docs-be-spending-lesstime-bedside-patients?goback=%252Egde_93115_member_244753540

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performance and determining the comparative effectiveness of

communication back to the bedside. Voice technology is allowing

different treatments, in part because of a growing emphasis on

the EMR system to evolve from a vault of patient information to

patient-centered care and value-based payment approaches.

a value-added partner on the front lines of patient care. Better
still, this evolved communication is speeding access to real-time

Voice can play a critical role in a patient’s perceived level and

patient data, influencing decision support and changing the face

value of care as clinicians are able to focus more attention on

of healthcare collaboration with the power of smart, effective,

real-time patient response to treatment and comparatively

two-way voice interaction where it has the most impact, on the

less time on manual patient care documentation – which often

front lines of patient care.

occurs following patient evaluations.

5

4

Increased Collaboration and Coordination
of Care

EMR Investments Are Leveraged Beyond
the Back Office

For most hospital systems, the transition to electronic medical

Healthcare system reform has placed a premium on

records has been the single most significant technology change

coordinating evidence-based care both inside and outside

impacting nearly every hospital department, employee and

the hospital. Coordinated patient care now extends beyond

patient. The emerging role of bedside and patient-facing

the bedside. CIOs leveraging mobile technology solutions are

technology is taking many hospital systems by storm. Balancing

leading the charge to deliver real-time patient data across the

the capital cost of new technology with the potential gains in care

continuum of care. Truly mobile, voice-enabled solutions allow

administration efficiency puts healthcare leaders squarely in the

the EMR system to move at the pace of the clinician and provide

middle of the technology investment “see-saw.”

real-time patient data to a broader community of care-givers
across a variety of settings. Patient outcomes improve and

Once EMR investments are made, what keeps hospitals from

re-admittance rates fall when clinicians can provide up-to-the-

reaping the full potential that is possible? Study after study

minute patient data to collaborating, EHR-connected teams.

confirms what CIOs already know – a successful EMR deployment
depends on frontline nursing and clinical staff adoption. Beyond
EMR adoption, innovative IT teams are leveraging EMR voice
overlay technology to seamlessly embed the EMR in patient care
protocols and workflows, right at the point of care. These leaders
understand that nurses and clinicians do not want to be tethered
to EMR input devices that slow or delay hands-on patient care.
Through voice-driven overlay technology, IT teams are moving
the EMR from the sidelines to the front lines of patient care.

Handheld smart devices and BYOD are ushering
in a more connected and interactive healthcare
industry.

SEAMLESS, HANDS-FREE VOICE TECHNOLOGY HAS THE
POWER TO MOBILIZE THE CLINICIAN AND THE EMR
SYSTEM. THE EMR WILL NOW MOVE AT THE PACE OF
THE CLINICAL STAFF.

The healthcare industry has seen a significant rise in use of

Interactive voice technology lets patient-facing clinicians

handheld devices. BYOD has become another project that IT

mobilize the EMR system to make rounds, follow patient activity

teams are being asked to prioritize. While networked smart

and have meaningful, data-driven conversations by sending and

devices allow clinicians and doctors to communicate in a more

retrieving patient data, in real time, directly at the point of care,

connected fashion, networked EMRs that contain dynamically

all with the power of voice.

updated patient information promote secure interdisciplinary
collaboration that directly impacts patient care.

Empowering clinicians to use conversational speech to navigate,
research and update patient records frees them from keyboard-

Healthcare leaders are adding intelligent voice overlay

based data entry and improves efficiency of care and accuracy of

technology to their EMR systems and are bringing true

documentation. Speed and accuracy of patient data management


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are of paramount importance and impact

A Word On Privacy and Security

both patient outcome and patient overall

Healthcare teams need to balance

satisfaction with their care delivery.

technology, patient care and emerging
privacy, compliance and security protocols.

Surveyed clinicians who used voice-driven

Voice overlay technology is completely

tools in frontline patient care overwhelmingly

secure with password-required sign-on,

agreed (79%) that they are comfortable using

ensuring patient data is always private.

voice technology during patient interaction,
with the majority agreeing that voice-driven

Technology is driving the healthcare

tools save time, reduced error rates and

industry at a new pace, and mobile, voice-

improve patient outcomes.

driven, patient-centered solutions will

Voice Impacts on Clinical
Documentation Improvement (CDI)

continue to deliver a greater share of value in
2014. Intelligent EMR voice overlay solutions
allow clinicians to “cut the cord” on tethered

Voice-driven EMR overlay technology is

EMR data entry so that the patient becomes

at the forefront of clinical documentation

the center of attention, not the technology.

improvement (CDI) providing a real-time, direct
link from the patient-facing reporting clinician

=================================

to the EMR system. According to healthcare

About the Author

researchers, “The key to effective coding and

Maureen Ladouceur is the vice president of

reimbursement starts with complete and

Clinical Solutions for VoiceFirst. Maureen

relevant documentation, and that relies on

is responsible for the delivery of clinical

high-quality, accessible EMRs.”5

consultative services, account management,
marketing and sales initiatives for Vocollect

Voice overlay for EMRs puts full voice

Healthcare Systems. As part of her role, she

communication with the EMR at the point of

brings clinical consultative experience in

clinical care, on the frontlines – no delays in

healthcare, national account strategies and

patient records updates, no risk of transcription

strategic product management expertise. As

error. Clinician-specific and procedure-specific

an RN, she blends clinical knowledge with

workflows ensure that the data required

technological initiatives to help customers

to administer and report on patient care is

achieve their goals in areas of both quality

available at the point of care.

and productivity through automation.
Maureen holds an MBA in healthcare finance

Voice overlay solutions seamlessly integrate

and administration from Pennsylvania

with the EMR system and leverage proven

State University, a BSN from the University

mobile device and Bluetooth® technology to

of Pittsburgh and a certificate in business

significantly scale current EMR efficiency gains.

strategy from Cornell University.

5: “Transition to ICD-10 codes will be disruptive, but CIOs can
help,” by Don Fluckinger, features writer; published 11 July
2011, HealthIT

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VOICEFIRST’S VOICE OVERLAY SYSTEMS FOR EMRS,
PLEASE VISIT WWW.VOICEFIRSTSOLUTIONS.COM OR CALL

412-206-1225


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Where Voice Technology Fits In Today's Metric-Driven Healthcare Industry

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