An Open letter from Judy Richard, President of JR ConsultingDear Doctor:
Thank you very much for your interest in DC Talk. I am sure that you will enjoy the program, and the ease of use, as much as my other clients. Here is some more information about it, and also some information about a seminar I would like to present in your area.
DC Talk is actually made up of two separate programs, Dragon Naturally Speaking and the DC Talk application. DC Talk is a chiropractic database application. It includes Soap Notes, Progress Reports, Narratives, Exams, X-ray Reports, Patient scheduling and is very flexible for printing and selective retrieval. For example, you can select to print the patient notes for a range of dates, or select to print only Medicare, Workers Comp or PI patients’ notes. Most of all, it is VERY EASY TO USE! It is also very easy to network.
Dragon Naturally Speaking Medical Solutions is the speech recognition portion of DC Talk. Dragon Naturally Speaking has been around since 1981. It is only recently, that computers have gotten fast enough for people in a hurry, like you and I, to appreciate the speed. Here is how it works: simply insert the Dragon Naturally Speaking CD into your computer. After the software is installed, you will be asked to read a story for about 5 minutes. You have a list of several stories to choose from. This is how the computer learns your voice. If you read the story with an accent, the computer learns your accent!
After the initial 5 minutes of voice training, you will load the DC Talk software, and in just a few minutes you will be dictating your notes! It is very, very easy to use. In fact, I can walk you through it over the telephone and you will be actively using the software in about half an hour. Although there is excellent documentation, and built-in computer-based training, I also have created a "cheat sheet" that will help you get better recognition in a very short time.
One of the most time-saving features of the software is called "dictation shortcuts." This feature allows you to dictate commonly used phrases, and give them a "nickname" (also called macros), such as "lumbar plan", or "pain 8". As you are dictating, all you need to say is that "nickname", and your whole phrase will appear in your notes. For example: say "pain 8", and the computer will type "On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain, and 10 being the worst pain, the patient states the pain is rated an 8." All of these "dictation shortcuts" are in your own words, and they are very easy to make changes to. So, your documents will never look “cookie- cutter” or boilerplate. I also have many pages of sample dictation shortcuts to share with you, created by my other customers. They have given me their permission to share them with my new customers. The feature is so easy to use; all you do is say “Add new command” and Voila! The New Command screen pops up and asks you to name your command and dictate the text. It just takes a few seconds, and the command is immediately available for you to use! You can even scan images, such as your letterhead, logo or signature, and paste them into a command. Name them something easy to remember, like “get letterhead” or “get my signature” to use for letters or documents in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook or Word Perfect.
After reading a story to the computer so it learns your voice, (takes only 5-7 minutes) you will achieve about 95% recognition right away. With a little practice, and making corrections, in a few weeks you will realize about 99% accuracy. You will be surprised how many proper nouns are in the vocabulary. Each time you make a correction, the software "remembers" that correction, so you only need to make that correction one time. Each day, the software gets better and better. Most people, even from day 1, will get greater than 95% recognition, with a qualified computer system.
The hardware is important. Although the software will run on a Pentium III, I highly recommend a fast Pentium 4 or any processor greater than 1 GHz. The speed and accuracy is incredible. You can get a very fast Pentium Dual Core desktop computer for under $1000. If you want some recommendations, please call me. You can get a very fast notebook computer for around $600-$1,200. I also recommend at least 512 MB RAM, but 2 GB is better. A SoundBlaster compatible soundcard is required. Most laptops have this built-in. The brand-name (as opposed to home-built) desktop computers usually have good SoundBlaster compatible soundcards. If you have a computer built for you, ask your “builder” to install a SoundBlaster sound card. Also, a CD “burner” is great for backing up your notes and other documents, and most new laptops already have this built in. It’s inexpensive to back up your files to a CD-ROM. Feel free to have your “computer person” call me for technical details if you’d like.
The price for the package is $3,795, and includes DC Talk, a headset microphone, Dragon Naturally Speaking 9.5 Medical Solutions, and free telephone support forever. I also recommend purchasing a hand-held microphone called a Philips USB Speechmike Pro. It is $269 and very accurate. It is very lightweight and comfortable to hold, and includes a built-in track ball and speaker. This microphone is quick and easy to use, and highly accurate. Just pick it up and start talking! There are many kinds of microphones available, including wireless ones. Call me for more information about the variety of microphones. I also sell digital hand-held recorders that work with Dragon.
Each person needs to spend a few minutes training their voice to the computer. If you have 2 doctors and 2 computers, you need to license the program twice. I offer discounted pricing on additional copies after the first one. Both Dragon and DC Talk software require a license for each user. You may load the DC Talk software on 2 staff computers (for inquiries regarding billing/insurance purposes) at no additional charge. This way, the moment you have dictated the patient note, it is immediately available to staff for printing, faxing or reviewing.
I pride myself on providing excellent customer service. As I mentioned previously, I also provide free telephone support forever. I have been a computer teacher for over 25 years, and you may call me about any computer issues that you might have. I usually know the answer right away, but if I don’t, I can find out quickly.
I also have information about a seminar that I would like to conduct in your area. I designed the content of this seminar specifically for chiropractors and/or their CAs who want to produce excellent documentation. It also includes some helpful hints and creative ideas for patient education and marketing. Recently, I presented this seminar for the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians fall meeting, to 100 CAs, and they loved it. All attendees said they would recommend it to others. I have also conducted the seminar for the Oregon Chiropractic Association, Kansas Chiropractic Association, and Iowa Chiropractic Society via Palmer College/Iowa Computer Network.
Although the software is easy to install over the telephone, if you would like me to provide on-site training and support, I am available at a rate of $145 per hour plus expenses. I can provide training for your staff on computer tips and tricks and shortcuts while I am there. I am also creative when it comes to marketing, and can provide some good ideas. For the initial installation, if you would like for me to come on-site, I will come for $500 for one day, plus travel expenses. I can stay additional days, for staff training on other computer applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, E-Mail, etc… for the $195/hr (or $145/hr for DC Talk Customers) rate. I will fly or drive in the night before, and start working with you the next morning, and catch an afternoon or evening flight out. The training for Dragon and DC Talk will take about 2-4 hours, depending on your level of computer knowledge.
If you decide to purchase a laptop computer, you can bring it to my office in Minneapolis for training, and I will not charge you for my time.
If you have your own idea of what you would like your documentation to look like, I am also available to design custom templates and shortcuts just the way you want them to look. I would do this using Microsoft Word and voice-enable the documents using Dragon Naturally Speaking. In this scenario, Dragon Naturally Speaking costs $1200 by itself (without DC Talk), and I will design your own system based on your requirements. I can also scan your letterhead, logo, signature or other graphics for you if you so desire. I would charge my hourly consulting fee for this service ($195/hr or $145/hr for DC Talk Customers).
Thank you again for your interest in DC Talk. With a little practice, you can produce very high-quality patient notes in about 30-45 seconds. My most satisfied customers dictate between patients or take breaks during the day to dictate. Most have a “travel card” on which they jot down information when treating/examining a patient, and then they use the card as a guide when dictating. They also use the card to “review the previous information” when the patient comes for the next visit. Some pf my clients dictate right in the room while treating/examining the patient. There is no right or wrong way, but I will tailor your training based on your requirements or desires.
Please do not hesitate to give me a call. I feel confident that you will really love this program. One other bonus is that the software works in all Windows applications. You can even dictate your e-mail! As a matter of fact, this entire letter was dictated using Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Best regards,
Judith Richard
Judith L. Richard, President
JR Consulting