We recommend the Following for Reduced Turnaround Times:

• Dictate in a quiet area, without or away from background noises such as music, printers, or nursing station conversations
• Dictate the information in the order that it should appear in the final version of the transcript.  Take a moment to organize data before you begin each dictation
• Dictate with a natural, even, clear pace, pronouncing all syllables.
• Dictate with correct grammar and consistent sentence structure
• If dictating with a handmike or DVR, hold the device a consistent distance from your mouth, typically 3-4 inches (10 cm).  Hold the microphone or DVR below your mouth rather than in front of to minimize breathing sounds.  If dictating with a telephone, hold the receiver normally.
• Keep your dictation volume constant by not moving the device or telephone receiver away from your head
• If you plan a long pause, use the pause function on your dictation equipment/system. 
• Momentary pauses between thoughts or sentences are fine.
• For a short pause, do so at a logical place such as at a period or comma
• Use facility-approved abbreviations
• Use facility-approved date formats
• Dictate dosage instructions consistently, in the same sequence
• Delineate lab values separately from each other
• Dictate using a consistent style, whatever your style is.  You don’t need to change your style due to speech recognition, instead TA+ Powered by SpeechMagic will adapt to your dictation style.

Regarding Punctuation:

     TA+ Powered by SpeechMagic will learn and compensate if you do not dictate punctuation, but it will learn faster if you do.  It is more important to be consistent regarding the dictation of punctuation. 

Please Avoid:

• Avoid eating or chewing gum or drinking while dictating
• Do not add superfluous speech such as ‘thank you this dictation is finished’ at the end of a dictation job
• Avoid hesitation expressions such as ‘um’ or ‘ah’
• Avoid unnatural pauses; for example, do not pause in the middle of dictating a date
• Avoid dictating while conversing with staff or others 
• Avoid dictating with cellular phones due to the background noise issues
• Do not over enunciate.  Use your natural speech patterns
• Do not race through the dictation
• Do not abbreviate medications, other than with facility-approved medication abbreviations
• Do not dictate in an area with competing background noises