Background noise often includes voices of office workers, telephones, computer sounds, equipment noises, and even electrical lighting hums. Papers are shuffled and drinks are slurped - directly into the recording microphone. Sneezes, coughs, and other bodily sounds are often produced, sometimes louder than the dictation itself. Yawning while dictating is a popular activity.
Some doctors take their work home with them. I had one doc who liked to dictate during his commute home. Hopefully he was the passenger and not the driver in a car, although I really do not know for sure. What I do know is that the sound of traffic was distinct and I often wanted to shout “roll up the windows” while I struggled to transcribe his windblown words. Another doc whispered his dictation from his bedroom while his wife slept. Another had two dogs nearby that sounded quite large from their deep, loud barks. Then there was the doc who dictated from his living room and on Tuesdays his young daughter had piano lessons in the background.
With all the noises that are captured on dictation files, it is crucial for transcriptionists to do whatever they can to improve the audio quality. Trying different digital players often helps. Using the audio processing features such as volume control, playback speed, and noise filters can be useful. I have found that the most helpful accessory is headphones.
Headphones come in a variety of styles. Some wrap around the head, others dangle like a stethoscope. Noise canceling headphones can be essential for the transcriptionist working in a noisy environment. Some transcriptionists prefer wireless headphones, others prefer earbuds. Good quality headphones, whatever the style, will be well worth the extra expense.
When you are set up with equipment that works best for you, and a loud burp (or worse) comes through your headphones, you just might then be thinking, “I can hear you!”
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