Transcript Checkers
Automated validation tools that help catch common dictation errors before you finalize your reports.
Overview
The system includes two smart checkers that compare your dictated transcript against the study information to help prevent common reporting errors:
Laterality Checker - Catches left/right mismatches
Metacarpal/Metatarsal Checker - Prevents hand/foot bone terminology mix-ups
These checkers work silently in the background and only alert you when they detect a potential issue.
Laterality Checker
What It Does
Compares the side (left/right/bilateral) from your study order with what you dictated in your report.
Common scenarios caught:
Study ordered for right knee, but you dictated findings about the left knee
Study ordered for left hand, but report describes right hand findings
How It Works
Checks what laterality is in the study order (left, right, or bilateral)
Identifies which side you mentioned in your dictation
Alerts you if there's a mismatch
Example Warnings
✅ No Warning (Match)
Study: X-ray Left Ankle 2 Views
Your dictation: "There is a fracture of the distal left fibula..."
Result: ✓ Laterality matches⚠️ Warning Shown (Mismatch)
Study: X-ray Right Ankle 2 Views
Your dictation: "There is a fracture of the distal left fibula..."
Warning displayed:
"⚠️ Laterality Mismatch
Study is for the RIGHT side, but your report mentions the LEFT side.
Please review before signing."Bilateral Studies - Special Behavior
Bilateral studies do NOT trigger laterality warnings.
When a study is ordered as "bilateral", the checker won't flag mismatches if you only mention "left" or "right" in your dictation.
In bilateral studies, it's normal to describe findings separately for each side:
Study: X-ray Knees Bilateral
Your dictation: "The left knee shows moderate osteoarthritis.
The right knee demonstrates minimal changes..."
Result: No warning (expected behavior for bilateral studies)This prevents unnecessary alerts that would interrupt your workflow.
What to Do When You See a Warning
Review your dictation — Did you accidentally say the wrong side?
Check the study images — Confirm which side you're actually reporting on
Correct if needed — Update your dictation to match the correct side
Override if correct — If you're certain your dictation is right (and the study order might be wrong), you can proceed and contact the ordering provider
Metacarpal/Metatarsal Checker
What It Does
Catches one of the most common dictation errors: confusing hand bones (metacarpals) with foot bones (metatarsals).
Memory aid:
Metacarpal = Hand (think "carpal tunnel")
Metatarsal = Foot (think "tarsus" = ankle)
Common Errors Caught
❌ Wrong: "X-ray of the foot shows a fracture of the 5th metacarpal" ✅ Correct: "X-ray of the foot shows a fracture of the 5th metatarsal"
❌ Wrong: "X-ray of the hand shows a fracture of the 5th metatarsal" ✅ Correct: "X-ray of the hand shows a fracture of the 5th metacarpal"
How It Works
Checks what body part is in the study name (hand, wrist, foot, or ankle)
Detects which bone terminology you used in your dictation (metacarpal or metatarsal)
Determines whether they match up correctly
Hand X-ray
Metacarpal ✓
Metatarsal ✗
Wrist X-ray
Metacarpal ✓
Metatarsal ✗
Foot X-ray
Metatarsal ✓
Metacarpal ✗
Ankle X-ray
Metatarsal ✓
Metacarpal ✗
Example Warnings
⚠️ Warning Shown
Study: X-ray Foot 3 Views Right
Your dictation: "...fracture of the base of the 5th metacarpal"
Warning displayed:
"⚠️ Terminology Error
This is a FOOT study, but you used 'metacarpal' (hand bone).
Did you mean 'metatarsal'?"What to Do When You See a Warning
Double-check the study — Confirm whether it's a hand or foot X-ray
Review your dictation — Look for "metacarpal" or "metatarsal" in your text
Correct the terminology — Use the find-and-replace feature if needed
Re-check — The warning will disappear once you fix the term
This is a very common error that can lead to incorrect reports and patient safety issues. Always take these warnings seriously.
When Checks Run
Automatic Validation
Checkers run automatically in these situations:
When you finalize your dictation — Right before you move to sign the report
When you process impressions — Before AI generates impression text
Before signing — Final validation before report becomes official
Performance
You typically won't notice any delay - both checkers run in the background.
What You'll See
No Issues Detected
When everything matches correctly, you won't see anything. The checkers run silently and let you continue your workflow.
Warning Detected
When a potential issue is found, you'll see a warning message:
⚠️ Validation Warning
[Description of the issue]
[What we detected]
[Suggested action]
[Review Dictation] [Proceed Anyway]You can choose to:
Review Dictation — Go back and make corrections
Proceed Anyway — Continue if you're confident the report is correct
Check Skipped
Some situations skip validation entirely (no warning shown):
Laterality Checker skips when:
Study is bilateral (as explained above)
No laterality information in study order
Dictation doesn't mention a specific side
Metacarpal/Metatarsal Checker skips when:
Study isn't for hand, wrist, foot, or ankle
Dictation doesn't use either term
Troubleshooting
"I keep getting false warnings"
Possible causes:
Study name format not recognized
Example: "DX FOOT" instead of "X-ray Foot"
Solution: Contact your admin to standardize study naming
Complex dictation confuses laterality AI
Example: "Comparison with prior left ankle shows the current right ankle..."
Solution: Use clearer phrasing when mentioning different sides
Bilateral study not detected
Cause: Study name doesn't include "bilateral"
Solution: Have ordering providers use standard naming conventions
"Laterality check takes a long time"
Cause: AI processing delay (rare)
What to do:
Wait a few extra seconds — it should complete within 5 seconds max
If it hangs for more than 10 seconds, refresh and try again
Contact support if it happens repeatedly
"I want to disable these checks"
These checkers are enabled system-wide for patient safety and cannot be disabled by individual users. If you believe they're causing workflow issues, speak with your organization administrator about configuration options.
Tips for Avoiding Warnings
Best Practices for Laterality
Always state the side early in your dictation
✅ "Left knee X-ray shows..."
❌ "The knee shows..." (side mentioned later)
Use side consistently throughout the report
Don't switch between "left" and "the affected side"
For bilateral studies, mention both sides explicitly
"The left kidney shows X. The right kidney shows Y."
Best Practices for Metacarpal/Metatarsal
Pause before using the terms — They're easy to mix up
Use voice macros if your dictation software supports them
Create auto-correct rules in your dictation system:
"5th met" → "5th metacarpal" (for hand studies)
"5th met" → "5th metatarsal" (for foot studies)
Frequently Asked Questions
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