Exploring VoiceEMR and the Future of Healthcare with PuzzleAI

Introduction to AI in Healthcare

In the AI-driven new normal, adopting digital health technologies to improve healthcare workers’ environments has become imperative. At an online seminar held on July 18 by lawmaker Shin Hyun-young in collaboration with various organizations, Jeon Ha-rin, head of development at PuzzleAI and our new product, VoiceEMR, emphasized the crucial role of AI solutions, highlighting the need for financial and policy support during implementation and preparation phases.

The Diversification of EMR Systems

Jeon elaborated on how the emergence of digital health and AI is reshaping healthcare practices. “The healthcare field is transitioning from traditional methods to digital health,” he stated. He advocated for a comprehensive analysis of current trends to foster sustainable innovation. One significant issue raised was the quality of medical records, often hampered by common human errors.

Current statistics reveal a stark reality: EMR-related tasks consume about 48% of healthcare workers’ time. A 2018 Deloitte research study in the U.S. reinforced this, recognizing documentation tasks as the most in need of efficiency improvements.

Jeon emphasized that existing laws limiting excessive work hours for medical staff, such as the 80-hour workweek for residents, inadvertently degrade the quality of medical records. “The more we focus on enhancing record quality, the lower our care efficiency becomes,” he explained. This trade-off between record quality and efficiency is a pressing challenge.

VoiceEMR: Revolutionizing Medical Record-Keeping

To tackle these complex issues, Jeon introduced VoiceEMR, a speech recognition electronic medical record system. This innovative solution addresses both the quality of records and the efficiency of care. Implemented successfully in hospitals domestically and internationally, it has shown significant effectiveness.

“Voice recognition technology can achieve over 98% accuracy in transcribing designated medical terms without errors,” Jeon noted. Moreover, it offers real-time documentation capabilities via smartphones and tablets, enhancing the timeliness of records. Even in infection risk situations, where physical contact with keyboards is discouraged, VoiceEMR proves invaluable for timely documentation.

The adoption of VoiceEMR is currently focused on 2nd and 3rd tier hospitals in Korea, proving beneficial across various medical environments. Jeon also noted that this trend of voice recognition technology emerged in the early 2000s in the U.S. and is now vital for improving healthcare conditions in Korea.

Conclusion: Bridging Healthcare Gaps

PuzzleAI has developed AI models capable of incorporating a wide range of medical terminologies and languages, demonstrating their commitment to advancing healthcare. They have launched VoiceENR, a system aimed at enhancing nursing record environments, and developed the remote consultation service platform VOIDOC to further improve operational efficiency.

Jeon concluded with a call to action: “To develop and implement healthcare AI effectively, it is crucial to address the existing gaps in data infrastructure and funding between different types of hospitals.” There is a need for targeted financial and policy support to facilitate the adoption of innovative solutions like VoiceEMR.