Consciousness Raising Exercie #26

A medical transcriptionist's secret weapon -- which can and should strike fear into the heart of any dictating physician-- is to transcribe the doctor's speech verbatim.

While medical transcriptionists struggle to protect doctors from such a brutally unforgiving approach to the spoken word, many doctors like to believe that speech-recognition software can provide the answer to their problems.

The following quotes were taken verbatim from dictation by doctors:

"What am I trying to say? I don't know what I'm trying to say. You know what I'm trying to say. Why dont'cha just put it in, okay?"

"Family history: The usual."

"Fasting pH is 1.9."

"Pupils are equal, round and reactive to light.... What do you mean he hasn't called in admitting orders yet? Get him back on the phone! I don't give a shit if he's drunk, he's supposed to be on call. Just have him tell the nurses to admit her or she's going to crump right here..... Extraocular movements are intact. No signs of nystagmus.....I know he's an incompetent asshole...... Tympanic membranes are clear, no exudate. Oropharynx is clear."

In 150 words or less, explain the risk management and quality assurance issues that accompany the use of speech recognition technology.