One of the roles of transcription in medical research is to convert audio recordings of proceedings like clinical trials and medical conferences into written text for it to be shared among members of the team. Transcripts enhance the data analysis part of medical research because it is much easier to identify trends and patterns in data when it is in a text form, rather than a list of recordings in a folder.
Transkriptor, an AI-powered transcription tool, is a great option for transcription in medical studies because it allows users to upload recordings (like patient interviews or conversations with specialists) and dictate in real time at the doctor’s office, hospital or clinic. Transkriptor offers 99% accuracy, which is essential for medical transcripts because they are used for both patient care and legal compliance, as well as extensive language coverage for multilingual research teams. Try it for free!
What are the Benefits of Transcription for Medical Researchers?
Transcription is beneficial for medical researchers because it produces documents which are free of errors (like spelling mistakes, abbreviations and unexplained notes made by other team members) as well as reducing the amount of time they have to spend relistening to recordings to find specific information. Additionally, it is crucial for the scientific community to incorporate transcription into research practices so that deaf and hard of hearing colleagues are supported. The 7 main benefits of transcription for medical researchers are listed below.
1. Enhanced Accuracy
Transcription is an essential tool for medical researchers because it allows them to document verbal communication, interviews and discussions to a high degree of accuracy. Transcribing audio files for medical research means that the documents are free from errors like spelling mistakes, abbreviations and annotations made by other people (team members or medical staff) which compromise the data interpretation.
Accuracy is particularly important for medical research because the conclusions of the studies guide clinicians in preventing, diagnosing and treating health conditions. Additionally, accurate records are crucial for medical research teams to prove they are processing, storing and protecting data according to data security guidelines.
2. Improved Efficiency
Medical research involves vast amounts of data, which takes a long time to collect and organize manually, so transcription saves researchers time by automatically converting audio recordings into text which is easier to review and analyze. Medical researchers work with recordings like interviews, patient consultations and focus groups which take a lot of time to transcribe, so delegating the task to a transcription service improves their efficiency and allows them to focus on carrying out the data analysis.
Transcription makes data analysis more manageable, because it is easier to identify patterns in text than audio or video recordings, allowing the research to progress faster. Additionally, it is easier to review text (by scanning the document or using the search box to find instances of keywords) than it is to review lengthy audio and video recordings.
3. Increased Accessibility
It is essential for the scientific community to make research practices inclusive for deaf and hard of hearing colleagues, as their ability to participate relies on it, according to the article “Ensuring deaf access in science” published in the Nature Reviews Materials journal in 2023. Transcribing materials means that all team members, whether they have hearing difficulties or simply prefer to read text than to listen to audio, are able to access the data.
Deaf and hard of hearing people are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), despite their ability to become incredibly skilled researchers in their area of expertise. 700 million people are expected to have permanent and disabling hearing loss by 2050, according to the fact sheet “Deafness and hearing loss” published on the World Health Organisation website in February 2024.
4. Better Data Management
Turning the audio recordings used in medical research into transcripts makes it easier to organize and store the data, which in turn makes it easier to find specific information within the data. Transcription enhances data management in medical research because it is much easier to use the search box in a document to find a keyword or phrase than listening to hours of recorded content to find a specific moment.
Case studies, a popular methodology in medical research , detail the medical history, diagnosis and health outcome of a patient to assess whether the course of treatment they underwent has the potential to help people encountering similar problems. Case studies contain a lot of information, including patient interviews and recordings made by physicians describing the findings of an exam, which is difficult to manage manually. Transcripts help to organize the large amount of data used in case studies because they organize the information according to topic, instead of storing it as a list of audio recordings in a folder.
5. Supports Multilingual Research
Multilingual research, where team members collaborate across countries and speak multiple languages, is increasingly popular. Creating transcripts from the audio recordings being used in medical research allows the text to be translated into multiple languages, facilitating input from collaborators who aren’t native English speakers and broadening the readers of the work to an international audience.
Transkriptor, a web-based transcription tool, is a great option for multilingual research teams because it supports more than 100 languages (including languages with a relatively small number of native speakers like Irish and Maltese). Incorporating transcription into medical research mitigates the language barrier and allows team members to engage with the data in their preferred language.
6. Enhanced Collaboration
Transcription fosters collaborative research efforts because it simplifies the process of sharing information among team members. A medical research team includes a variety of people, including a principal investigator, research associates and a coordinator, in addition to the stakeholders who invest in the project. Incorporating strategies from different disciplines and health professions allows medical research teams to address complex clinical problems, according to Little et al. in the research article “Team Science as Interprofessional Collaborative Research Practice” published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine in 2017.
7. Data Analysis and Coding
Medical researchers transcribe the audio recordings they are using in their project because it is easier to identify trends and patterns in a piece of text than an audio recording. Transcription aids qualitative research because it simplifies the process of coding and thematic analysis. Coding is separating the data into categories, known as labels, and thematic analysis is making connections between the codes. Qualitative data analysis software allows users to upload transcripts and analyze the text in the program, annotating the codes and themes themselves or letting the software generate the labels automatically.
Why Is Medical Documentation and Transcription Fundamental to Research?
Patient care depends on the quality of medical documentation and transcription. Medical records contain specialized language which has to be accurate for the medical professional to understand the condition of the patient , the symptoms they are presenting with and the effective treatment plan for them.
Transcripts are helpful for medical research because they provide written reports of audiovisual materials, and text documents are easier than recordings to analyze, collaborate on and share. Transcripts are crucial for analyzing recordings because it is easier to identify patterns and trends in texts than recordings. Transcription allows medical researchers to draw conclusions, generate insights and advance medical knowledge.
Medical transcripts are fundamental to research because they are accurate and accessible records of the audio and video files used in a project. Medical researchers use transcripts to demonstrate the integrity of data used in studies, prove that the findings are reliable and show the ethical committee that the study follows research protocol. Additionally, transcripts serve as evidence that the medical research complies with legal, ethical and professional standards put in place to protect participants.
How Does Transcription in Medical Studies Work?
Transcription is the process of converting audio and video recordings to text, so the information they contain is easier to analyze and share. Transcripts are written documents which summarize audiovisual material to provide an accurate record of the information they contain. Transcription is used in medical studies to convert audio recordings of patient interviews, clinical trial results and conference sessions into text. Medical transcripts streamline the process of analysis because researchers are able to search for keywords in the text, compile the keywords to create codes and divide the codes into groups to create themes.
Transcribing the audiovisual material being used in a medical study means that every team member is able to access the information at any time, ensuring that everyone on the project is always on the same page. Transcription for medical researchers is an important resource for team members who are absent for part of the project and need to catch up, as well as colleagues being onboarded who need to get up to speed with the progress of the project.
Transkiptor for Accurate Medical Transcription
Transkriptor, an AI-driven transcription service, makes transcription for medical research quick and easy. Transkriptor offers 99% accuracy and quick turnaround times, essential for the fast-paced workday of medical professionals. Additionally, Transkriptor supports more than 100 languages, meaning medical researchers are able to transcribe recordings in a variety of languages from international colleagues and participants.
Transkriptor offers above-industry-standard accuracy, extensive language coverage and rapid results (half the time of the input audio) in an easy-to-use platform. The straightforward interface of the Transkriptor app is accessible for users of all skill levels, meaning they are able to generate high quality transcripts from the moment they begin using it. Try it for free!
