Using Veterinary Dictation Software: Benefits and Challenges
Accurate and timely medical records are essential for effective veterinary patient care, yet charting is the bane of every veterinary professional's existence. Following staffing, charting load is likely the top factor limiting the number of patients a veterinarian or practice can see each day, week, or month.
For decades, veterinarians and human physicians have used dictation—the process of recording voice notes that are then transcribed and kept in the patient’s medical record. However, newer veterinary dictation software that uses artificial intelligence can significantly impact overworked teams. Here’s a look at the benefits and challenges of using a dictation program or service.
Traditional versus modern dictation systems
Traditional dictation methods involved recording notes with a handheld dictaphone and sending them to a professional transcription service. The transcribed notes were then sent back to the medical professional, carefully reviewed by a team member, and transferred into the appropriate patient medical record. While this helps to streamline the veterinarian’s time, the process can be time-consuming for other team members and prone to error.
However, emerging technology uses voice recognition and processing to automatically transcribe audio notes into written medical notes. Artificial intelligence ratchets things up a notch by offering automatic templating and SOAP note creation in compatible veterinary management software systems. Cloud-based systems are particularly well-suited to AI-based applications, as they allow for seamless integrations and updates, without time-consuming server overhauls or IT intervention.
Popular veterinary dictation software options
AI has made dictation software faster, more accurate, and more useful to veterinarians across multiple disciplines. Some of the most popular applications that integrate well with modern, cloud-based veterinary software systems include:
- Dragon Veterinary — Dragon Veterinary offers truly hands-free charting capabilities to busy veterinary professionals.
- Talkatoo — Talkatoo boasts integrations across multiple software platforms and claims to cut charting time in half.
- Talkingvet — Talkingvet’s mission is helping veterinarians write better records using its voice recognition and AI features.
Is veterinary dictation software right for your practice?
Like any technology, dictation has advantages and drawbacks that should be considered before implementation. Advantages include faster, more accurate, and more complete charting—some programs can even listen to a client conversation and automatically create a medical note, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Disadvantages include a learning curve for team members, some of whom may resist change or technology. Also, AI technology isn’t perfect, and teams still need to check all notes for errors.
The impact of veterinary dictation software on teams and practice success
Reducing the time spent on manual documentation can help veterinarians and technicians focus on patient care and skilled tasks, ensuring clients feel supported and pets get the care they deserve. Cutting administrative time means teams can see more pets with fewer resources—including during staffing shortages or busy times of the year.
Veterinary professionals who spend more time on the treatment floor and go home on time likely feel more satisfied and less stressed at work. Engaged employees contribute to an overall positive culture, reduced turnover, and an improved practice bottom line.
Veterinary dictation software is also a game-changer for records accuracy and completeness. Now, even veterinarians who hate charting can contribute full sentences and complete templates, facilitating better care continuity and transitioning in the practice.
Veterinary practice leaders looking to implement dictation software should consult with their teams to learn where they struggle most and then select software that addresses those concerns. Look for programs that integrate with and augment your existing software and ensure a strong customer support team will help facilitate a smooth transition. Adopting the right veterinary dictation software helps professionals prioritize patient care, reduces team stress, and allows practices to thrive in the modern age.
