Arlis Wood:
“Dementia or Delirium - Dragon has learned both with ease. I am a geropsychologist working in nursing and rehabilitation facilities. I compose at least two reports a day. As might be expected, I was days and weeks behind causing delays in diagnosis and treatment. Using both the desk/computer approach and the remote transcription approach, I have cut the time at least in half and am giving better care to the geriatric population who desperately need it.”
Barbara Mason:
“I had been working for three years licensing foster families before I discovered Dragon software. Unfortunately I never took typing and that left me with a choice of dictating a complete report or slowly and tediously typing it myself. A normal licensing report would be between 15 and 30 pages. I was often conducting interviews with multiple families at the same time and needed to keep all of their lives straight. Since purchasing Dragon I am able to complete an interview and immediately dictate the portion of the report related to my interview. I am able to do more with less due to the Dragon software. I still have my secretary proof my reports, but Dragon has helped her save time also since she no longer has to type the report.”
Jorge Munoz-Bustamante:
“I am an 8th grade counselor in an all-boys Catholic school with a caseload of 200 students. Paper files are kept for each student seen and are handed over at the end of the year. Last year I began creating one electronic file per student and used Dragon and Word to create one document per student. My assessment and progress notes flow seamlessly and are available for me 24/7. The main gain, however, is that I am able to include more relevant material and I save a great deal of wear and tear on my hands. I am also able to forward material to my colleagues as needed and I can scan things like psychological reports and observations into the file. Due to the sheer bulk of typing needed I would not be able to use this system without Dragon.”
Jose A. Lugo:
“I am a therapist, who has carpel tunnel as a result of the hours I spend writing Treatment Plans, Notes and reports to various courts in the county of Queens. Dragon has allowed me to do my job with ease and to fulfill my responsibilities to my employer.. Dragon allows me to accomplish my responsibilities and remain current in all my affairs.”
James Hanover:
“I work for a state agency in Wisconsin. With my position, I have a lot of paperwork which I have to process daily. Without Dragon NaturallySpeaking, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demands of my job. I have cerebral palsy. And because of my disability, I can’t type like most individuals. I also have a significant speech impediment. But despite these barriers, Dragon has become my best source of communication. The thought of your program making me more independent was a fascinating concept for me. Until I was introduced to the program, I was dependent on support staff for some of my reporting. I tried to do a lot of it myself but it got to the point where my "pecking" wasn't good enough. I really liked the idea of independence. There were moments when I wanted to walk away from [Dragon]! My colleague kept encouraging me to keep on trying. Finally, my efforts were rewarded. Suddenly, the words on the screen were the ones that were spoken by me. It was UNBELIEVABLE! As I developed more success, the more hopeful I became. As I became more hopeful, I became more confident. Whereas I was once intimidated by paperwork, with the assistance of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, I looked forward to the challenge that it brought.”
Kakriegl:
“I am a mental health counselor by profession, so my job requires a lot of writing of progress notes and other documents. Awhile back, I fell, breaking my wrist in the process. The wrist I broke was on my writing hand. I feared I would be "up the creek" with no way to write my notes in a reasonably timely fashion. I was introduced to Dragon NaturallySpeaking a few years ago when my job included Disability Services. Dragon was one of the accommodations that we could suggest to students with compromised reading and/or writing ability. Dragon became my saving grace during the seven weeks with my arm in a cast, and six more weeks of rehabilitation. I was able to dictate my notes into our "Progress Notes" form, allowing me to serve my clients and keep up with my paper work. It would have otherwise been a disastrous mess.”
Laura Goldman:
“I am one of the very few employees where I work that has any type of disability. I work in a state run correctional institution (prison) and without Dragon I would not have been able to keep my job. I work in the field of mental health and provide counseling to a caseload of about 70 individuals. Every time we have a contact of a professional nature-counseling session we are required document that session in their mental health file. Because I am no longer able to write to any viable extent without Dragon I would not be able do this job. I have become extremely dependent on the use of this program and without it I would not be able being on the computer, e-mail or continue to live as independently as I do. This program has been a lifeline for me … on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 15.”
A Rehabilitation Case Manager:
“I work with individuals who have complex medical conditions, including brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as chronic pain syndromes. When a referral is received, it typically means that 2-3 boxes of medical records are delivered, from which I need to gather information to determine the individual’s health history, list of providers and vendors, insurance coverage, current health/vocational status, and develop a plan which includes recommendations for the future. Reviewing and synthesizing expansive amounts of personal health information would take many hours. The more complex the care, the more providers involved, and the more difficult the task to untangle the web. I discovered that Dragon NaturallySpeaking could assist me to complete this job more quickly by enabling me to read each report and retrieve the salient information, dictating a chronology into a summary record that became in invaluable reference for both me and the client. The ability to also dictate the result of a lengthy assessment of the client and his/her home environment while driving back to the office, and then transfer the recording to a typed report while I slept, added more to my own health and quality of life. It wasn’t long, however, until I recognized the value of Dragon directly to my clients, many of whom had lost the ability to coordinate or use their upper extremities to type due to spasticity, pain, or paralysis. Bringing this technological advance into their homes has made a difference that is impossible to measure. Once feeling defeated by their circumstances, these individuals quickly rejoined with friends and family members via email communications, and began to take a more active role in coordinating their own care and managing their own households. With each visit I would see more ways that they found to take on additional responsibility, from dictating their grocery list to preparing their own schedule for caregivers. Still others sought to utilize the program to enhance their education and vocational options, returning to school or the workforce. The opportunities for renewed independence have made a remarkable impact upon their self-concept. Disabled is a term that none of us wish to use to describe ourselves, and this is also true for those who have sustained serious injuries. The term emphasizes ones limitations, and sets them apart from their peers. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking, these individuals find that, rather than being disabled in some areas they are simply differently-abled. With this program they are able to tap into their individual creativity and demonstrate their continued competence, remaining productive members of our society.”
Sheryl Milton:
I work in a busy family metal health clinic. I see many clients on a daily basis. I am required to complete a 10-15 page assessment on each member of the family. I developed Carpal tunnel and was limited in my ability to complete these assessments in a timely manner. I purchased Dragon for my at-home use. I wanted to see if it would actually work as the advertisement claimed. I was so excited about this program that I convinced my employer to purchase it for me at my office. I have been delighted with the results and my productivity has significantly increased.
Steve Loring:
“Although I attempted to learn typing, I ended up using two fingers, and typing a maximum of 20 words a minute. My supervisor attempted to encourage me by saying, "if you can play stringed instruments (I play in area bands), why can't you type?" I responded, "If you can type, why can't you play a stringed instrument?" I simply banged along two fingers for the remainder of my career, doing lengthy monthly reports in this manner. Having now retired, and working as a private counselor, I still do lengthy reports along with billing, mileage statements, and other documents, perhaps 80 pages a month. However, I use Dragon for 100% of my typing needs.”