The Role of Audio-to-Text Transcription in Medicine

Audio-to-text transcription has a vital role to play in the world of medical research. With various think tanks, focus groups and interviews all taking place to enhance medical knowledge, it’s imperative that valuable information is correctly and accurately recorded.

Audio-to-text transcription enables this, providing students and medical professionals with an essential tool to further their knowledge and understanding of developments in medicine.

From conferences to medicinal trials and all other aspects of research, accurate transcriptions stand to further educate those who aim to improve healthcare across the world.

In this edition of our blog, we look at the role of audio-to-text transcription in medicine to show why it is so important and where it is helping to enhance the world of medicine.

What are the benefits of audio-to-text transcription in medical research?

A transcription of a recording provides multiple users with a wholly accurate document relating to the particular aspect of medical research being spoken about. As audio files may contain background noise, varying accents, poor-quality recording or multiple speakers, it can often be challenging to hear all aspects of the file correctly. In such an information-led field in which vital information is frequently relayed, such distractions or issues could hinder both the learning of the research and its future development.

Enhanced accuracy

You’ll see that accuracy is something we speak about often in this blog. In medicine, it is perhaps even more important than in many other areas such is the vast terminology and complex nature of the subject matter.

With human transcribers, medical research can be accurately transcribed with all nuances, acronyms, and research-specific language fully understood. Compared to AI tools, this is a particular advantage. Whilst AI transcription tools can provide a speedy service, they unfortunately lack the full understanding of particular terms, variable accents and acronyms.

Accuracy is essential in medical research as the lessons learned from the conferences, think tanks and more all go some way to educating medical professionals on how to diagnose, treat and assess specific ailments. A poorly transcribed file, or one that has not been transcribed at all, could lead to inaccurate treatments, incorrect diagnosis or worse.

Efficiency

The quantity of information and data involved in medical research is vast. To listen to or watch every recorded item relating to the area of focus could therefore prove to be a waste of valuable time. The transcription of these files puts everything in an easy-to-consume text that can, in some cases, be time-stamped, allowing for a quick and efficient way to find the parts of the research you need. With a professional transcription service hired, the focus can be on the research, and not the transcriptions.

Access for all

A wide collective of people conduct medical research and some may have particular accessibility issues that could see their efforts restricted if they are not accommodated. Workers with hearing difficulties, for example, may struggle with specific sounds or accents when listening to an audio file. Having the vital research expertly transcribed allows them to consume the data more easily and effectively.

Data from the World Health Organisation indicates that by 2050, 700 million people may have deafness and hearing loss, so ensuring accessibility for all is essential.

Assistance with learning in a foreign language

Medical research is truly global, and whilst many working in the field speak English, it isn’t necessarily the native language for the majority. Transcribing an audio file to another language allows medical research to be interpreted, learned, developed and researched by a wider pool of experts.

At McGowan Transcriptions, for instance, we can offer over 200 combinations of language translation services.

Better data handling

Medical transcription delivers a more simplified way of storing and organising data. This provides those who require access with an easy way to find the specific elements of the research they need. A simple search on the transcription can take seconds, compared with potentially listening for hours.

Collaboration opportunities

Transcription in medical research gives more people the chance to contribute, as the way information is shared is much more streamlined. Experts for each stage of the research can immediately assess parts of the research they specialise in and make suggestions or recommendations. With a lengthy audio or video file, they could be listening for very long periods, only to find the guidance they wish to impart is either already covered or no longer necessary.

Where is transcription used in medical research?

Medical research is used in a number of ways, and offering that research via an accurate transcription gives it to a wider audience, but where is it commonly used?

Qualitative research

Qualitative research in medicine often involves exploring patient experiences, healthcare delivery systems or the perspectives of medical professionals.

This research commonly takes the form of interviews or focus groups and can be used to identify any recurring themes. This therefore gives future studies more direction. Transcription plays its part by capturing the different speakers, the tones, the pauses and more, enabling researchers to perform a thorough analysis of what has been said and its implications.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials are essential to the development of medicine, and it is crucial that clear and consistent documentation comes with it. Not only does this aid with compliance, but it allows those working on the trial to understand all that has been learnt so far.

Within clinical trials, transcription services are valuable for recording investigator meetings where trial protocols, interim findings or procedural adjustments are carried out. Such transcriptions ensure all involved always remain on the same page and that no essential information is overlooked.

Patient feedback and safety reports are also core elements of a clinical trial that benefit from transcription. With documented feedback, research into the treatments can be refined and developed as needed. Within the safety reports, clear and concise reporting of any complications can be recorded in a format suitable for submission to regulatory officials.

Conferences

Conferences specialising in medical research provide professionals with a wealth of information with speeches, workshops, discussions and more all taking place. For some, this could be a huge information overload. By offering up transcription, this vital information remains preserved and accessible long after the conference has ended.

Transcription also stands to benefit those who cannot attend the speeches, discussions or conferences. With transcriptions posted on websites or emailed to the relevant people, access to the valued information is made available to all.

Collaborative research

Medical research is often completed between multiple institutions, and sometimes, nations. By using a transcription service, discussions are properly documented and shared, allowing key points to be readily accessed by all sides thanks to translated transcriptions that avoid any confusion or misunderstanding due to the language barrier.

Why is transcription essential for medical research?

The care of patients and the enhancement of medicine both depend on research. The better the quality of the research, the better the results. Transcription aids with this as a written account is generally easier to follow than the audio file the research originated on. These transcriptions give medical researchers the chance to advance their knowledge, generate future insights and draw conclusions from what has been discovered.

Furthermore, a documented transcript aids medical professionals in demonstrating that legal and ethical standards have been followed.

What kind of transcription service benefits medical research the most?

Technology has a major role to play in medical research but when it comes to transcribing important medical work, it could be technology that hinders it.

Many companies now offer AI transcription services that deliver a rapid turnaround for all items requiring transcription. With time often being of the essence within healthcare, this can be seen as an ideal way to push the research forward, but it does come with its issues.

AI is still in its infancy and, as yet, is not sufficiently advanced to detect accents, tone changes and acronyms. In a field as specialist as medicine, accuracy is essential and missing out these elements of speech could significantly compromise the transcription. AI can also struggle with multiple speakers, background noise or fast speakers, further increasing the risk of a low-quality transcription.

Human transcription services, on the other hand, allow a trained professional to carefully document everything that has been said. Skilled in detecting pauses, nuance, accents and complex terminology, a thoroughly accurate transcription of your medical research is diligently created.

Slower than AI but considerably more accurate, transcription by a human ensures better compliance and a wider understanding of the work that has been carried out. With translation possible as well, the research benefits will be available to a much wider audience.

At McGowan Transcriptions, our team completes audio transcribing to the highest possible standard, ensuring an accurate and timely turnaround. Speak to us today to see how we can be of benefit with our transcription and translation services.