The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) is actively engaged in offering our professional expertise to address the impact of problem dictation as it relates to documentation errors and critical flaws affecting patient safety, the potential for sentinel events, the effects on turnaround time, and the resulting increased cost.

The reasons for improved dictation throughout all healthcare facilities is compelling. Incomplete or inaccurate documentation as a result of poor dictation habits leads to patient-care errors and the potential for sentinel events. In addition, poor dictation increases turn-around time and threatens timely delivery of care as well as delays reimbursement. Not only is patient care affected, but unaddressed problematic dictation can consume significantly more time and labor, thereby increasing overall documentation costs. As the healthcare system rapidly moves toward adoption of EMRs and ultimately the EHR, widespread attention has now turned toward speech recognition, yet vendors consistently cite a low percentage of qualified users as a chief concern in assisting clients in adoption and implementation of this technology.

The Dictation Best Practices Tool Kit is designed to assist facilities with the adoption and implementation of policies and training practices that will promote high quality dictation and ensure the best documentation outcomes. This kit includes Dictation Best Practices: A Guide for Physicians, a self-running audiovisual presentation, as well as a PowerPoint presentation with handouts for a live seminar. In addition, the kit includes the rationale for promoting better dictation practices and Dictation 101, recommendations for instructing dictators in good dictation habits. Visual aids include "Q" Cards, a Tip Sheet, and a Documentation Workflow poster.

Sponsored By:

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to MedQuist for generously sponsoring the production and distribution of the Dictation Best Practices Tool Kit. AHDI is proud to work with MedQuist toward improved practices in dictation.

Downloads

1. A Note from AHDI
2. How to Use This Kit
3. Dictation Best Practices Audiovisual Presentation
   • High-Speed
   • Dial-Up
4. Dictation Best Practices PowerPoint Presentation
5. Presentation Handouts
   • Presenter’s Notes with Slides
   • Dictation Best Practices Presentation Outline
   • Slides with Notes Area
6. Dictation Best Practices Rationale
7. Dictation 101
8. Sample Improvement Letter
9. Q Cards
10. Tip Sheet
11. Documentation Work Flow Poster
12. Model Policies & Procedures