Using dictation solutions to increase quality of care

When it comes to workflows at his office in Andover, MA, Dr. Spyridon Kantas is never content with the status quo – instead, he’s always looking for ways to refine and optimize processes to best serve the needs of his patients.

As a primary care physician with more than 20 years of experience, he transitioned approximately 3 1/2 years ago from private practice to join Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, a teaching hospital affiliated with the Harvard Medical System with 200+ physicians.  As he transitioned to this new environment, some of the tools and best practices Kantas has used over the years remained consistent – one being a Philips dictation microphone. A proponent of speech recognition tools for many years, Dr. Kantas says it’s key to getting the most out of his busy schedule and providing the best care possible.  

A doctor’s conundrum – How to give full attention to both patients and documentation?

As is the case with most physicians, Dr. Kantas’ days are often filled with back-to-back patient appointments, where he always strives to provide his undivided attention during their limited time together. However, part of his responsibility as a physician is also to capture thorough notes in order to maintain comprehensive documentation with the practice’s Electronic Healthcare Records (EHRs). Doing both at the same time used to pose a challenge, until he added his Philips SpeechMike Premium Air wireless microphone to his daily workflow. 

“I like the SpeechMike because it helps me work faster, and my patients like it because it allows for better engagement with them,” he explains, adding “Microphones can make people feel nervous, but with a device so small and unobtrusive, I can mitigate their discomfort by explaining the process while also recording everything they’re saying. I sometimes even show them the notes as they appear onscreen, and I think they appreciate it when I explain how this ultimately helps me to help them.”