Evaluation of the Usefulness of Speech Recognition Tools in Creating Medication Therapy Management Records

Abstract

With the expanding responsibilities of pharmacists, the time required to create medical records has become a significant burden, highlighting the need for efficiency improvements. Among text input methods, speech recognition offers a faster alternative to keyboard input and is expected to reduce workload. This study evaluated the utility of a speech recognition tool in generating medication management instruction records. First, ward pharmacists rated subjective changes in their workload before and after using the tool on an 11-point scale (ranging from −5 for deterioration to ＋5 for improvement). The median score was 0 (range: −4 to ＋2), indicating no perceived improvement. Next, two sample texts (349 and 605 characters) were transcribed using both the speech recognition tool and keyboard input, with input times measured. Speech recognition required 186±15 and 395±24 for the first and second texts, respectively, compared to 252±19 and 511±26 s for keyboard input, demonstrating a significant reduction in time. Although no subjective decrease in workload was observed, these findings suggest that speech recognition tools may enhance efficiency in record creation. Further research in this area is warranted, encouraging audience engagement in the ongoing scientific process and fostering a sense of shared responsibility.