Speech Recognition 2013
Going From Back To Front And Beyond

Key Findings

Voice Recognition Exploding as a Caregiver EMR Tool: Nuance has the most live clients as speech recognition vendors face hundreds of potential clinical users at a single client site. Nuance’s quick start is aided by partnership agreements with Cerner and other vendors. The ability to improve documentation efficiency across thousands of hospitals appears real. After Nuance, Dolbey is a distant second in number of live EMR clients. MModal also has a new offering (Fluency Direct) with one validated live site.

Nuance - The Technology King with Relationship Challenges: With the broadest technology portfolio of any speech recognition vendor, Nuance offers solutions for CAC, CDI, NLU, CLU, and MTSO. On top of strong technology, clients want stronger relationships and support.

Dolbey Delivers on Promises to Clients: Dolbey enjoys the best client relationships and provides excellent support. Their integrated FES/BES Fusion platform is still gaining market share but has fewer clients than solutions from Nuance and MModal.

MModal - Gaining Momentum: MModal’s management team is leveraging MModal’s speech engine for a full suite of new speech and NLU solutions, including new FES solutions (Fluency for Imaging and Fluency Direct) for imaging and EMR. Several larger organizations have contracted for the new products, and other clients await validation that the solutions can deliver. Clients report that Fluency for Transcription is improving, while FES clients on the struggling SpeechQ product seek a clear transition path to Fluency.

Bottom Lines

Front-End Speech EMR: This is a hot new market for speech recognition vendors, moving speech recognition from diagnostic, HIM, and transcription departments to encompass all clinicians in a hospital. Nuance, Dolbey, and MModal are the first vendors with live sites validated by KLAS. Nuance has the most live sites, followed by Dolbey’s integrated Fusion FES/BES solution. MModal has a couple of validated clients.

1. Dolbey Fusion Expert/Speech EMR: Good performance reported from clients at three validated sites using the FES EMR. See FES Imaging.
2. Nuance Dragon Medical 360 NE: Newer EMR speech offering performing well with clients. Significant improvements in support and functionality scores over past year. Good interoperability and customization abilities. Some challenges with hardware compatibility and update process. Some clients successful with outsourced training.

Front-End Speech Imaging: Primarily used for imaging documentation, with little market change noted in the past couple of years. Agfa and Dolbey are improving their performance with better support, while Nuance and MModal struggle.

1. Dolbey Fusion Expert/Speech EMR: Top-rated diagnostic speech solution offers integrated platform for BES and FES, including speech-enabling EMR tools. Dolbey excels at client relationships, training, and support. Steadily adding very loyal clients. Easy-to-use product with good interoperability and few reported problems. After-hours support, at times, can be hard to reach.
2. Nuance PowerScribe 360: Highly rated FES solution with falling performance scores tied to delayed implementations and poor training. Many who recently upgraded from superseded products reported improved functionality and voice recognition. Lagging support and communication.
3. Agfa TalkStation: Huge improvement in past year, primarily from v.4 upgrades. Clients like improved stability, search functionality, and accent recognition. Complaints from v.3 users of downtime and some interoperability challenges. Improved service, though reports of nickeland-diming.
4. MModal SpeechQ: Drop in service scores of 15% due to poor problem resolution. Functionality complaints of system crashes and difficulty picking up accents and speech variations. Clients hopeful for new Fluency for Imaging solution but uncertain of transition plan.
5. 3M ChartScriptMD: Early data shows significantly increased satisfaction scores from improved service/support, integration, and ease of use. Over half of users would buy again. Late on delivering updates. Has plans to release a new product, ChartScriptMD for Radiology, that is currently in beta testing.

Back-End Speech: Mainly adopted in HIM. Also used in conjunction with outsourced transcription services to provide editing, particularly by Nuance and MModal clients.

1. Nuance Dragon Medical 360 eScription: Top-rated solution for BES for both large and small organizations. Easy to adopt. Minimal impact on clinician workflow. Excellent contracting and implementation. High scores for service and support. Upgrades can be buggy, difficult, and time consuming.
2. Dolbey Fusion Speech: Of interviewed users, 96% say Fusion Speech has all the needed functionality and note improved system response time. Support is becoming more proactive, but clients note decreased interaction with Dolbey executives.
3. MModal Fluency for Transcription: Lowest-rated BES solution for three years, but improving performance with 13% uptick in training and service scores. Scores well for implementation and ease of use.
4. 3M SyncStream: Early data scores dropped in past year, though still high overall for most rated areas. Service response time decreased in past year. Lower scores for delivering new technology and ease of use. Clients want more flexibility for multiple users.

Project Manager
Robert Ellis