Why Traditional Dictation Software Falls Short for Clinicians

Despite significant differences in operations, both private practices and large hospital systems face a common issue that has affected healthcare for many years: the impact and strain of administrative duties on healthcare providers. Since the introduction of the EHR, the demand for medical documentation has increased significantly – but since workdays haven’t gotten longer, clinicians are unable to keep up. As it stands, the healthcare system often sets up doctors to experience burnout by the middle of their careers. In response, many healthcare providers aiming to lighten their administrative burden have started using dictation software.

Dictation software has led to some improvements in the medical documentation process. Instead of typing on a computer, doctors can engage directly with patients, which is essential for building trust and fostering rapport. Furthermore, dictating notes can save clinicians a considerable amount of time, and many find it easier to speak their thoughts and edit later than to write detailed notes right away.

However, dictation software falls short of fully addressing the challenges medical professionals face and does not meet their specific needs. Rather than solving the problems associated with medical documentation, dictation software simply swaps one administrative task (typing) for another (dictating). While it may save some time, many clinicians still find themselves struggling to balance efficiency with providing quality patient care. Here's why:

Interruptions from In-Appointment Note Dictation

The most efficient way to ensure accurate documentation with dictation software is by dictating notes during patient appointments. Research suggests that this method tends to produce more accurate records. The process is quite similar to taking notes during a session, with the added advantage of having more direct interaction with patients.

However, dictating during appointments can interrupt the natural flow of a clinical conversation. Dictation software often requires pauses to capture specific medical details in the correct format, leading users to repeat or rephrase parts of the discussion. This approach can make patient visits feel less personal and may harm the relationship between patients and healthcare providers, leaving patients feeling overlooked or dismissed.

Counter productiveness Caused by Dictating Notes Between Appointments 

To reduce interruptions during patient interactions, many healthcare providers choose to dictate their notes right after a patient appointment. This can be an effective approach if the provider can set aside time for it, but often this time competes with preparations for the next patient or the need to stay on schedule.

When appointments run late, the delays add up over time, and providers may end up needing to see fewer patients or face the negative effects of patient dissatisfaction.

It's important to also consider the impact on clinicians themselves. While dictation software aims to ease the documentation process, it can actually add more stress for healthcare providers, who are already in a demanding and mentally taxing profession. Dictating notes between appointments doesn't allow providers to take a break or recharge, pushing them from one patient to the next without respite. This constant rush can lead to exhaustion, increasing stress levels and fatigue — key factors contributing to clinician burnout.

No Escape from Burnout: Leaving Too Much for the End!

The third most common workflow for using dictation software comes with its own set of challenges. Many doctors, in order to focus entirely on their patients during visits, choose to leave all their dictation until the end of the day, whether it’s after seeing patients in the clinic or after working hours. While this often extends the workday, it allows clinicians to prioritize patient care throughout the day.

However, the problem with dictating notes at the end of the day is that it requires clinicians to remember the specific details of each patient encounter they’ve processed. This method frequently results in incomplete or inaccurate documentation, undermining the benefit of their full attention during the patient visit.

This happens because completing tasks like filling out patient charts depends on successfully transferring sensory information from short-term to long-term memory. Working memory has a limit — a certain amount of information it can hold before it is committed to long-term memory. After a full day of seeing patients, clinicians likely reach this limit, leading to cognitive overload and causing key details to be forgotten permanently.

A Better Solution: SOAPsuds AI Medical Scribe

Fortunately, dictation software is not the only tool available to help reduce the administrative load on healthcare providers. In fact, a more efficient and automated option exists, allowing clinicians to fully delegate the documentation and charting tasks and instead focus entirely on patient care—without the added stress of working after hours. This solution is AI-powered medical scribe software.

SOAPsuds’ AI-driven medical scribe records the conversation between the patient and clinician in real time, extracting only the essential medical details from the visit. It then uses this information to create a unique note, which is automatically transferred to clinician systems.

This means clinicians no longer have to choose between saving time or delivering quality patient care. With SOAPsuds, they can achieve both.