CERTIFICATE
Certificate:
Report submitted to the Department of English,DRK College of
Engineering and Technology,Bowrampet,Hyderabad. In partial
fulfillment of the requirements of Third year second sem degree
of
Bachelor of Technology
IN
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
By
MANASWINI.G 08U51A0418
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF
Mrs.Sree devi Jasti
Department of
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
DRK College of Engineering and
Technology,Bowrampet,Hyderabad
(Affiliated to JNTUH-2011)
Voice Recognition Software: Comparison and
Recommendations
Use of voice recognition software is under consideration by medical office
administrators nationally. Administrators have long searched for alternatives to the
expense, error rate, and record-completion delays associated with conventional
transcription. It is no wonder that, with the recent advances in voice recognition
software, medical transciptionists are looking at this emerging technology as a
powerful way of accomplishing essential record-keeping tasks.
This report investigates four of the leading voice recognition applications to determine
whether this technology has become a practical option and to determine which
application is the best choice. And so that this report and further study of the software
can be better understood, an introduction to the subject of voice recognition software
follows.
Introduction to Voice Recognition Technology
Several different voice recognition products currently exist in the marketplace, and
viable choices are greater in number than they were only a few years ago. Rapid
changes have been fueled by the ever-increasing power and plummeting prices of
desktop systems. Though room for improvement still exists, accuracy has advanced
tremendously in a stunningly short time.
Brief history. The first software-only dictation product for PC's, Dragon Systems'
DragonDictate for Windows 1.0, using discrete speech recognition technology, was
released in 1994. Discrete speech is a slow, unnatural means of dictation, requiring a
pause after each and every word [11]. Two years later, IBM introduced the first
continuous speech recognition software, its MedSpeak/Radiology. These systems
often had five-figure price tags and required very expensive PCs. Continuous speech
technology allows its users to speak naturally and conversationally, relieving much of
the tedium of discrete speech dictation [11].
Dragon Systems made an enormous stride in June, 1997, when it released
NaturallySpeaking, the first general-purpose continuous speech software program.
Much more affordable than earlier programs, it brought the realm of continuous
speech recognition to a much wider range of users. Two months later, IBM released
its competing continuous speech software, ViaVoice [10].
Stringent demands. Much is demanded of speech recognition programs. Accuracy is
critical, and speed is essential to any effective program. Added to these challenges are
the enormous variance that exists among individual human speech patterns, pitch,
rate, and inflection. These variations are an extraordinary test of the flexibility of any
program. Voice recognition follows these steps:
1. Spoken words enter a microphone.
2. Audio is processed by the computer's sound card.
3. The software discriminates between lower-frequency vowels and higher-
frequency consonants and compares the results with phonemes, the smallest
building blocks of speech. The software then compares results to groups of
phonemes, and then to actual words, determining the most likely match.
4. Contextual information is simultaneously processed in order to more accurately
predict words that are most likely to be used next, such as the correct choice out
of a selection of homonyms such as merry, marry, and Mary.
5. Selected words are arranged in the most probable sentence combinations.
6. The sentence is transferred to a word processing application [11].
Power devourers. With all of the complex selections and tremendous flexibility
demanded of voice recognition software, it is small wonder that considerable
computer muscle is required to run these programs. To take fullest advantage of
current speech recognition programs, a PC with a minimum of a 300 MHz Pentium II
processor is recommended. A separate 16-bit SoundBlaster-compatible card is also
advisable, because the sound cards that are bundled as part of a PC's motherboard can
produce inferior results with voice recognition software [4].
Realistic reminders. The technology has advanced impressively over the last year,
with programs variously offering smarter speech recognition engines, larger active
vocabularies, integration with the most popular word-processing programs, and
improved accuracy. This report sorts through these to find the most accurate program
and the best value available, and determines if the accuracy is acceptable at this
time [4]. It is essential to remember the following:
While voice recognition software has made enormous strides, it is not perfect.
Dictated records, particularly in the first few weeks of use, must be sufficiently
proofed while onscreen.
Since medical and legal requirements for record keeping are exacting and
extensive, considerable dictation is required. Dictation using voice recognition
software is like many other things: practice makes all the difference. Tests by
PC Magazine Labs showed that increased experience with dictation and the
software clearly increased accuracy [3]. Be prepared to invest a few weeks of
dictation time and practice with the software in order to see enhanced accuracy.
Requirements for the Purchase of Voice Recognition Software
Based upon stated preferences and system specifications, the following conditions
have been established:
Continuous speech recognition software must provide is preferred, rather than
the slower, more unnatural and lower-priced discrete speech recognition
software also on the market.
The application must run on a Pentium-powered PC under Windows 95, and be
capable of integration with Microsoft Word97.
The software program must be easily and successfully installed by any
intermediate-level computer user in the office.
The program must be one that can be learned and customized reasonably
quickly by nearly anyone in the office.
The cost limit is $1,500.
Points of Comparison
The different voice recognition software programs compared are Dragon Systems'
NaturallySpeaking 3.0 Preferred Edition, IBM ViaVoice 98 Executive, L&H Voice
Xpress Plus, and Philips FreeSpeech98. Discussion of Dragon Systems'
NaturallySpeaking will also include its Medical Suite.
Eight categories of comparison will be made in order to effectively evaluate these
competing programs: (1) accuracy; (2) minimum system requirements; (3) capacity to
manage a specialized medical vocabulary and medical records; (4) integration with
Microsoft Word; (5) ease and speed of installation, customization and use; (6)
industry ratings and awards; (7) inclusion of microphones, and (8) cost.
Accuracy. Accuracy is the single most significant consideration; without it, the
program is useless. Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking 3.0 scored highest on all of
the accuracy tests performed by PC Magazine and was unequivocally selected as the
Editors' Choice. In their tests, the average accuracy was 91% and at times was
considerably greater [1].
Average accuracy for L&H Voice Xpress was 87% [2]. Accuracy for IBM's ViaVoice
tested at 85% [14], and Philips FreeSpeech98 was 80% [15].
At first glance, these percentages, particularly the top two, may not seem significantly
different. Consider, however, that for every 1,000 words, an accuracy rate of 87%
means that 130 words must be corrected. An accuracy rate of 91% represents an
average of 90 errors per 1,000 words, while an 80% rate means that 200 out of every
1,000 words must be corrected.
Thousands of words are dictated daily in this practice. Time is scarce and precious.
Medicolegal conditions mandate that records must be exhaustively thorough and
accurate. Under these rigorous circumstances, with every percentage point counting
heavily, Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking yields the highest accuracy.
Minimum system requirements. All four programs run on Pentium-powered PC's
utilizing Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 and require 16-bit SoundBlaster-compatible
sound cards. Random access memory (RAM) requirements for software run under
Windows NT are higher for all of these programs [5].
Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking requires a Pentium/133MHz processor or
higher, 32MB of RAM, and 180MB of hard disk space [5].
IBM ViaVoice 98 requires a Pentium/166MHz with MMX (multimedia chip)
or higher, 32MB of RAM, 180MB of hard disk space, and 256K L2 cache [5].
L&H Voice Xpress Plus requires a Pentium/166MHz with MMX, 40MB of
RAM, and 130 MB of hard disk space [5].
Philips FreeSpeech98 requires a Pentium/166MHz processor, 32MB of RAM,
and 150MB of hard disk space[5].
Table 1. Comparison of Minimum System Requirements
Software CPU RAM Hard Disk Space L2 Cache
Dragon Pentium/133 MHz 32 MB 180 MB none
IBM ViaVoice Pentium/166 MHz-MMX 32 MB 180 MB 256 KB
L&H Pentium/166 MHz-MMX 40MB 130MB none
Philips Pentium/166 MHz 32 MB 150 MB none
It is important to recall that, as noted earlier, significantly greater system resources are
recommended to optimize performance. Given the sufficient system resources, none
of these software programs should present a problem for the existing system.
Capacity to manage a customizable, specialized medical vocabulary. Medicine in
general, and each medical specialty in particular, have their own complex, specialized
vocabularies.
Dragon Systems NaturallySpeaking offers a so-called Medical Suite targeted to
medical professionals and specified as an alternative to transcription. Marketing
materials state that an extensive vocabulary of thousands of words, including
medical procedures, terms, drugs, diagnoses and symptoms, are included. The
software allows creation of multiple vocabularies for specialty customization if
desired [8].
IBM offers add-on VoiceType Vocabularies for use with ViaVoice. The
medical vocabularies available are for Emergency Medicine Dictation and
Radiology Dictation. No other specialty customization is available [13].
L&H Voice Xpress and Philips FreeSpeech98 do not offer medical
vocabularies, either as add-ons or bundled with the software [9, 12].
Two of the four companies offer a product that provides medical terminology. IBM's
emergency room and radiology add-on software is not applicable to the dictation
needs of obstetric and gynecologic practices, for example. Dragon Systems'
NaturallySpeaking Medical Suite offers the same voice recognition technology as the
previously mentioned NaturallySpeaking Preferred Edition, with the addition of
extensive customizable medical terminology that can be tailored to other specialty
practices.
Integration with Microsoft Word. All four programs integrate with Word97 and can
therefore be used with existing word processing software. [5].
Ease and speed of installation, customization and use. Each of the four programs
uses "wizards" to install and configure hardware, and all programs support macros for
frequently used phrases.
Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking uses its wizard to train the system to
recognize the user's voice within 4 minutes. Material is provided so that about
30 minutes of reading aloud will improve accuracy [5]. Electronic medical
documents can be analyzed automatically to "learn" new specialized terms and
proper names. Its CommandWizard feature enables any user to create medical-
specialty macros. Commonly used and required medical forms, electronically
stored, can be readily called up and the user is prompted to fill out each section
of a form [8].
IBM's ViaVoice also trains the system by means of reading from selected texts
for about 30 minutes, and its wizard adjusts microphone and speaker volume
levels [5].
L&H Voice Xpress Plus directs the user to read chapters of a book, and in PC
Magazine's tests, about 75 minutes was required for the process [5].
Philips FreeSpeech98 directs the user to read selected text for about 15
minutes; ten training topics are available for the user's review [15].
Installation of all of the programs appears straightforward, and the initial basic
"training" is not excessively time-consuming for any of the products. While all
provide macros, the medical customization features of Dragon Systems' product are
considerably greater. Though they will initially require more time and document
input, accuracy is increased, and for this reason, Dragon's software is recommended in
this comparison.
Industry ratings and awards. Only one of these products refers to and lists awards
on its web site, and that is Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking. None of the other
three products has any such mention anywhere on its site, nor do any awards or
industry recognition show up on multiple web searches for the products.
Dragon Systems' web site lists over fifty awards, some of which are listed here:
PC Magazine, Editors' Choice, October 1998; this particular article is
referenced several times in this report [1, 7].
PC/Computing, Time Capsule - The 12 Best PC Products on the Planet: Input
Device Category - August 1998[7].
PC World, World Class Award: Best Voice Recognition Software - June
1998 [7]
BYTE Best - January 1998 [7].
BusinessWeek, The Best New Products/Software - January 1998 [7].
Time Magazine, The Best of 1997/Cybertech - January 1998 [7].
PC/Computing, 5 Star Rating - November 1997 [7].
While industry recognition and journalistic evaluations are not the only
considerations, Dragon Systems boasts an impressive list of awards and ratings by
prestigious periodicals.
Inclusion of microphones. As previously noted, a microphone is necessary for
capture of spoken words.
Dragon Systems ships with a VXI Parrott 10-3 microphone; PC
Magazine notes that it is comfortable and performs well [5].
IBM's ViaVoice and L&H Voice Xpress Plus both provide an Andrea NC-80
microphone, which PC Magazinestates is not as comfortable as the XVI Parrott
10-3 [5].
Philllips FreeSpeech98 does not include a microphone; it recommends its own
SpeechMike at an extra cost of $69.95 [5].
None of these is a make-or-break detail, but Dragon Systems has a slight edge with
the reviews provided by PC Magazine.
Cost. Highly significant price differences exist among these programs.
The Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking Preferred Edition tested by PC
Magazine, October 1998, retails for $179 when purchased directly from Dragon
or through resellers. Rather than purchasing this edition for a medical practice,
NaturallySpeaking Medical Suite is available for $995. An Add-On Medical
Specialty Vocabulary is $49. One year of 800-number telephone support for all
products is an additional $199, for a total cost of $1,243, exclusive of tax and
shipping costs, for the Medical Suite [6].
o IBM's ViaVoice 98 Executive software program costs $150, and the
medical specialty add-ons are $240. However, these add-ons are for
emergency medicine and radiology only [13].
o L&H Voice Xpress Plus is $70 [5].
o Philips Free Speech98 costs $39 and includes no microphone. A Philips
SpeechMike can be ordered for $69.95, for a total cost of $108.95,
exclusive of tax and shipping costs [5].
L&H offers the best price by far. IBM and Philips are roughly in the same
ballpark. Dragon Systems' Preferred Edition is more expensive at $200, but not
significantly so. The only customizable medical software program is Dragon
Systems' Medical Suite, which, at $1,243, is over ten times the cost of Philips'
software, though it includesone year of technical support.
CONCLUSION:
From business, medical, and legal perspectives, the creation and maintenance of
accurate, complete records are crucial. The primary downside to such thorough
record-keeping includes: (1) the time required for dictation, (2) the costs in and
inherent hassles of finding and hiring a competent medical transcriptionist, (3) the
necessary delays between dictation and actual availability of the transcribed records,
and (4) the time needed to proof and correct the transcriptionist's output.
To date, the weakest link in speech recognition technology has been accuracy. This is
fast changing, and current software programs have significantly improved within the
last year. Can a voice recognition software program eliminate some of the problems
occurring in conventional medical transcription? The following conclusions will help
answer this question in the recommendation that follows:
1. All of the programs specify system requirements that are well within the
parameters of the existing system.
2. All of the programs integrate with the existing word processing software,
Microsoft Word97.
3. All of the programs can reasonably be installed by the average user.
4. Dragon Systems NaturallySpeaking Medical Suite is by far the most expensive
voice recognition program. While it is $1,243, including one year of technical
support, the other three programs are all under $200, exclusive of support.
5. Philips does not include a microphone with its software as do the other three
software companies, but purchase of one does not increase the total cost
appreciably. Dragon Systems' microphone is considered more comfortable than
the other microphones tested by PC Magazine.
6. Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking has accumulated a lengthy list of awards;
no awards were found for the other three programs.
7. Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking Medical Suite with Add-On Vocabularies
is easily customizable to specific needs of different practices for specialized
medical vocabulary and medical forms.
8. Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking technology is the most accurate of the four
programs tested.
9. Although Dragon Systems' NaturallySpeaking is the most expensive, it offers
the best function while the other options considered are barely adequate.
10.The best choice of the four applications considered is Dragon Systems'
NaturallySpeaking.
Recommendation
Dragon Systems NaturallySpeaking Medical Suite is strongly recommended for its
superior accuracy, powerful customization features, and industry recognition and
awards. No other product comes close, and its strong advantages justify its higher
price. Once the program has been customized, and the user has dictated for several
weeks and become familiar with the software, acceptably accurate transcription and
instantly available medical records should be possible with NaturallySpeaking
Medical Suite, solving some of the record-keeping problems faced by this medical
practice.
Literature Cited
All references are found online:
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October 1998).
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