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Faster reporting, better patient care

The facts

The customer
Northern Rivers Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Lismore/Grafton/Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
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Philips partner
PDT Digital
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The solution
SpeechLive Cloud Dictation Solution
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Northern Rivers Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a specialised medical practice providing surgical services for mouth, neck, face and jaw. The medical practice was founded in 1999 by Dr. Arthur Bilski, along with his brother, Dr. Wojciech Bilski who joined in 2011. Since then they have expanded to three locations – Lismore, Grafton and Coffs Harbor, also working in both private and public hospitals.


Operating in multiple locations requires a flexible solution which supports location independent dictation to compile patients report. This is the reason why Dr. Bilski came across Philips SpeechLive to keep detailed records of the reports.

“I like to dictate while the information is still fresh in my head, no matter whether I am at the practice or in a private hospital. Sometimes I have up to 40 patients a day, so I take 1 to 2 minutes time after each patient to do a short dictation on the findings and recommendations and the rest is done by SpeechLive and my assistant,” tells Dr. Bilski.

The solution

Northern Rivers Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery uses the slimmest SpeechLive solution, which only requires any smartphone and a computer with internet access. Dr. Bilski dictates on his iPhone with the Philips Voice Recorder App. The app is connected to the web-based dictation solution Philips SpeechLive. SpeechLive allows users to access and manage their dictations on the cloud, hosted on Australian server, from their smartphones virtually from anywhere, without being constrained to a computer.

Philips SpeechLive can be used in a traditional way where the author uploads the dictation via Wi-Fi and the assistant can access the worklist. Or he can use the transcription service where external typists type the recording. He can also use the speech recognition service, an automated speech-to-text system that returns the document in about half the time of the dictation length. In Dr. Bilski’s case, he uses the transcription service majority of the time.

“My dictation is labeled with the patients’ name and my author number. After finishing my dictation, I send it off to the transcription service within the app. The written document is returned by email within 24 hours. My assistant just does a quick check on any mistakes and sends out the document to the necessary parties. These parties can be patients, referring doctors or other relevant parties,” explains Dr. Bilski.

This cloud dictation solution was a major change for my practice!

Dr. Arthur Bilski

“Most of the time this is how I do my job. An exception would be any complex patient case where for example court is involved. I will take additional notes to make sure I have a detailed and comprehensive documentation,” Dr. Bilski adds.

Equally important is the complete location independence for the assistants by SpeechLive. Assistants can login from any computer to access the dictation worklist, and the transcribed documents waiting at the workstation. In a conventional set up where an assistant does the typing, they use the Philips transcription set consisting of a transcription software, foot pedal and headphones.  The devises work on an easy plug-and-play set up and the dictations sent via SpeechLive seamlessly synchronise in the transcription software.

Easy transition

Prior to switching to digital dictation Dr. Bilski was writing his own reports using templates. He started dictating with the Philips Voice Recorder App in April 2017. In between he was using other voice recorders with locally installed software. “Using the templates it took me 10 to 15 minutes after each patient to do the reporting. After that I used the locally installed software, which was good, but one time my assistant got sick and suddenly I was 200 letters behind,” explains Dr. Bilski.“Now it takes me 1 to2 minutes and the work is off my desk and reliably executed by the external transcription service. Just a short check and the document is ready to go. I don’t have to employ an additional person doing the typing for me and I don’t have to worry anymore if the typist gets sick or is on vacation,” Dr. Bilski states enthusiastically.

To take it to the next level, Dr. Bilski is working on templates with the external transcription service as some parts of the document always stay the same. Before doing the dictation, he would indicate which template assistants should use and then receive the final document back.

Simple setup and pricing

The setup of Philips SpeechLive takes only a few minutes. A user only needs a SpeechLive account and install the Philips Voice Recorder App on the smartphone.  After setting up the SpeechLive account within the app, the professional dictation solution is ready to use.“It took me ten minutes to understand the solution and after just one day of practicing, I was ready to use it for my daily reports. This solution was a major change for me”, Dr. Bilski points out.Philips SpeechLive is a simple quarterly or annual based subscription service. Customers who need additional transcription and speech recognition services need to purchase or top up the minutes they need for their dictations. No big cost outlay, just simple and predictable pricing!

“Paying for transcription service pays off for me.  It is a lot cheaper than employing another person doing the typing for me. I know that it is done reliably and I get the written document within the next 24 hours,” says Dr. Bilski.

Support and recommendation

“Since I started using SpeechLive I think I only needed assistance once. I called PDT Digital, who sold the solution to me, and they provided their expert solutions.” tells Dr. Bilski. PDT Digital Pty Ltd is a certified partner for Philips dictation solution in Australia, offering the full Philips dictation portfolio.“The solution has improved my way of working tremendously. I can definitely recommend it to other people in my profession who want to be location independent and want to keep it simple. I have my phone always with me and I can dictate from anywhere. It is very easy to use and efficient,” Dr. Bilski concluded.

The solution

More satisfied customers

“Lockdown prompted the change, but the versatility offered by SpeechLive is something we didn’t know we were missing.“

Adrian Barker, IT Manager, Ison Harrison Solicitors, UK

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“The main objective for our firm has always been to simplify the way solicitors produce documentation or instructions and remove any administrative overhead.“

Michelle Zenere, General Manager at Mullane & Lindsay Solicitors

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“Would we recommend Philips SpeechLive? Rather not—otherwise, our competitors would be as well organized as we are.“

Dr. Michael Bergmann, Partner at Raue Law Firm in Berlin

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“I can’t say enough good things about the Philips solution and really think any firm will be satisfied with the results.“

Gail Gianunzio, Paralegal, Lynch & Lynch, South Easton, USA

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