Transcription solutions – a brief history

How have transcription systems and software developed over time, from the use of cassette tapes, through to digital dictation and the more recent cloud-based offerings?

transcription-solutions-a-brief-history

Analogue beginnings

The traditional method of dictation was analogue-based and involved using cassette tapes. Although there are still some cassette solutions in use today, their use has significantly dwindled over a period of time due to a number of drawbacks:

  • Tapes can be lost or damaged
  • The audio quality and voice clarity degrades over time
  • The retention and storage of cassettes can be problematic, particularly if a company’s internal policy requires them to be kept over a period of years

Furthermore, the process is inherently inefficient as the author would have to physically hand the cassette to the secretary or typist, or put it in the post, so that it can be transcribed manually.

Little wonder then, that when digital dictation systems became available they proved extremely popular.

The move to digital

Originally available as on-premise solutions (the digital files were stored on a local server within the organisation), digital dictation devices offered a number of significant benefits over the cassette approach:

  • Location independent – files could be passed through to the secretary or typist for transcription even if the author was away from the office, providing they had internet connectivity and could gain access to the local server. This helped to increase the speed at which dictated documents were turned around.
  • Enhanced sound quality – digital dictation devices offered far better sound quality than tapes, with some of the studio quality microphones having the ability to block out background noises.
  • Improved workflow – administrators could prioritise dictation jobs, whilst individual typists could be assigned to specific authors to ensure confidentiality and efficiency.
  • No lost work – because the files are digital they could be stored on the local server, avoiding the problem of them being lost in the post, misplaced or damaged.

However, despite all of these advantages, there was still a desire for greater efficiency and even quicker turnaround times. These requirements were addressed by two game-changing developments – the wider availability of speech to text solutions and the growing influence of the cloud.

Speech to text

Back in 1976, computers could only understand about 1,000 words, but by the 1980s this had increased to around 20,000 as IBM continued to develop voice recognition technology.

Since then, the technology has matured significantly with some services now boasting an overall success rate of up to 99% from clear audio.

All of which means that many digital dictation solutions are now incorporating speech to text capabilities. Indeed, a recent survey of the medical transcription software market found that almost two thirds of solutions offer voice recognition capabilities. And while speech to text software was initially designed specifically for desktop PCs, crucially it is now available on mobile devices.

Of course, there is the challenge of handling technical terminology which may be specific to a particular industry, for example in the legal and healthcare sectors. However, there are solutions available that allow an organisation to add specific words or phrases to the standard vocabulary.

The use of machine learning also enables the speech to text system to constantly learn and correct user errors so that they are not repeated, all of which enhances the overall success rate and usability of the system.

Cloud-based solutions

Perhaps the most significant development in the transcription market is the availability of cloud-based dictation systems. Recent research indicates that around three quarters of dictation solutions are now cloud-based.

This should be no surprise in the light of the explosive growth of hybrid and remote working. There is an increasing requirement for workers to have access to dictation capabilities anywhere, at any time and the cloud option delivers this perfectly.

First and foremost, a cloud-based solution enables authors to access fully featured versions of dictation apps from the smartphones or tablets irrespective of their location. It then allows voice files to be sent electronically to transcribers, and the draft documents to be shared simply and quickly with the authors for editing or approval.

Furthermore, in these security conscious times, this type of solution helps to keep digital files safe from unauthorised access by automatically encrypting stored data.

Moving forward

The widespread adoption of remote working means that organisations will require technical solutions that provide enhanced collaboration capabilities and increased efficiencies for their workforce, whether they are participating in virtual meetings or visiting client sites. The advances made in transcription solutions ensure that they are well placed to meet these emerging challenges.

Take a look at our transcription services