Royal Philips Electronics' speech recognition technology SpeechMagic has won the E-Health Innovation Awards in the United Kingdom in the category "Best Use of E-Health to Improve Efficiency."

Philips received the award for a SpeechMagic implementation in the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, where a shortage of radiology secretaries sparked interest in the use of speech recognition. Through the integration of SpeechMagic with the radiology department's Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS), the hospital reduced the average time from examination to report authorization from 17.66 days to 4.56 days - an efficiency increase of 74 percent.

"SpeechMagic streamlined administration, which improved patient care," said Dr. Richard Harries, consultant radiologist at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital. "With reports finalized quickly after examination, treatment can now start immediately. This reduces hospital stays to the medical necessity, which saves both human and financial resources."
 
Linda Davidson, jury member of the E-Health Innovation Awards said, "The judges recognized that Dr Richard Harries was a dedicated enthusiast of speech recognition technology. Unlike many individuals in this position, however, he also managed to persuade others to follow him. Together, he and his colleagues, supported by Philips, are clearly making a very significant difference to the service offered to patients in the trust. The award is very well deserved."

According to John Higgins, director general of Intellect, the E-Health Innovation Award "rewards the brightest and best work in UK healthcare information technology." The award is organized by Intellect, a UK industry body for information technology, and E-Health Insider, an online news and information service dedicated to UK healthcare information technology.