The Center for Menstrual Disorders
and Reproductive Choice

Until November 2006, Rebecca Wortman spent an average of $700 a month on transcription costs at The Center for Menstrual Disorders and Reproductive Choice, a subspecialty gynecology practice. But after being trained in how to use Dragon Naturally Speaking software, the office practitioners now dictate and have their patient notes and letters to referring physicians automatically transcribed, bringing transcription costs down to zero.

While reducing the practice's transcription costs by more than $8,000 a year is certainly a plus, that's not why they investigated the software. "We do a lot of surgery in the office and some patients have to be admitted to the hospital or transferred back to the referring physician," explains Rebecca. "It used to take two days to have a letter from The Center dictated, transcribed, and returned" and then be forwarded to the hospital or referring provider, often delaying communication and needed treatment.

Now, the practitioners can "instantly dictate and print out a letter for the patient to take with them," says Rebecca, cutting down on further diagnostic testing and operating room wait times and ultimately improve the patient's quality of care. And with 35 letters being dictated a day – 20 by Dr. Morris Wortman and 15 by the practice's nurse practitioner, Amy Daggett – the number of patients who benefit from the speedier service is substantial.

The faster turnaround time with chart notes, letters to referring doctors, and admission notes also "allows the staff to understand the patient's circumstances and course of treatment much sooner therefore expediting quality patient care," says Rebecca. It also makes it easier for Dr. Wortman, who is now able to dictate his notes and letters immediately following a patient's visit, while the appointment is fresh in his mind.

In addition, faster delivery of notes enables faster reimbursement. "We're able to post charges and bill immediately because our billing personnel can read what has been done and make sure that we bill for all of the services rendered at the visit without having to wait for the transcription to return…We're getting reimbursed faster because of Dragon," she says.

Although implementing Dragon software has certainly improved the practice's efficiency and productivity, Rebecca also sees it as a segue to electronic medical records, which The Center is considering implementing in the coming year.

                                 Interview by Marcia Layton Turner, Layton & Co.