M*Modal Showcases its Speech Understanding™ Integrated Within EHRs

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the HIMSS11 conference, M*Modal is featuring and demonstrating an application of its Speech Understanding™ suite designed specifically to be integrated into Electronic Health Record systems. This approach permits physicians to create narrative documentation from directly within the EHR, closing the gaps created by the constrained structured documentation modes of those systems. These gaps prevent full realization of the information-rich collaborative environments that match the way physicians think and work, and that can foster optimal clinical decisions and actions.

“We add far more value to EHR providers and users alike than simply offering speech recognition inside their software.”

In a typical implementation, doctors using the EHR software can initiate the dictation application with one click, using an ergonomic microphone. Patient context information is available onscreen via the EHR. Physicians can use voice to navigate software functions (e.g., state “Go to Allergies”), invoke templates and complete fields, and create free-text information, a highly valued documentation style as it permits the kind of patient detail, causes, and rationale that are difficult to capture in EHR structured templates. The real-time speech recognition output can either be edited immediately through intuitive voice commands, or delegated to a medical editor for completion.

Clear benefits realized with M*Modal’s approach are:

• Adoption of the EHR software is promoted as dictation is accommodated effectively alongside structured input
• Higher quality documentation is produced as narrative information augments structured EHR data elements.
• Transcription productivity gains are achieved through speech recognition.

The solution will be shown at HIMSS integrated into the SpeechQ™ product line from MedQuist (Booth 963) under the branding SpeechQ Direct. This integrated solution is part of a broad range of options for using speech technology inside third-party applications such as RIS, PACS, and clinical documentation systems in addition to EHRs. Several M*Modal partners in each category are also demonstrating their implementations at HIMSS.

Unlike commonly used speech recognition technologies, M*Modal’s Speech Understanding technology combines advanced speech and natural language processing (NLP) technologies in one, unified platform. The results of this approach are superior speech recognition and automatic output not simply of tagged data elements but also of highly meaningful information that drives medical action.

The M*Modal platform is deployed as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, and the integrated mode can be implemented in a Citrix® environment without the problems that have plagued speech recognition on a thin-client workstation.

“Our integrated speech platform provides a real alternative from a company that is highly oriented toward empowering partners,” said Don Fallati, M*Modal Sr. VP Marketing. “We add far more value to EHR providers and users alike than simply offering speech recognition inside their software.”

About M*Modal:

M*Modal, the market leader in advanced Speech Understanding technology, combines industry leading technology and clinical documentation services to produce highly accurate, structured, encoded and shareable medical documents to facilitate the use and adoptability of electronic health records. More than 800 healthcare organizations nationwide utilize M*Modal’s solutions to increase patient safety and promote continuity of patient care. For more information, please visit www.mmodal.com.

About MedQuist:

MedQuist is a leading provider of medical transcription services, and a leader in technology-enabled clinical documentation workflow. MedQuist's enterprise solutions – including mobile voice capture devices, speech recognition, Web-based workflow platforms, and global network of medical editors – help healthcare facilities improve patient care, increase physician satisfaction, and lower operational costs. For more information, please visit www.medquist.com.