Transcription & Dictation

Vena offers powerful transcription and dictation features to help you save time during patient sessions and improve your documentation workflow.

Session Workspace Tabs

When you open a session, you’ll find two main tabs:

1. Notes and Transcription: For writing notes and using transcription features
2. Generations: For creating content using templates and AI assistance

Using Transcription

Getting Started with Transcription

1. Open a patient session
2. Look for the microphone icon on the right side of the page
3. Click the microphone icon to open the audio modal
4. Select “Transcription” from the options
5. Click “Start” to begin the transcription
6. Grant microphone permissions if prompted by your browser
7. Begin speaking to transcribe your words

Transcription Behavior

Some important things to know about transcription:

1. Locked During Active Transcription: While actively transcribing, the text is locked and cannot be edited
2. Editable When Stopped: Once you stop transcription, you can edit the text
3. Automatic Timeout: If you pause for too long, the transcription will automatically stop
4. Manual Stopping: Click the microphone icon again and press “Stop” in the modal to manually stop transcription
5. Restarting: To continue transcribing, open the modal again and click “Start”

Dictation Features

Getting Started with Dictation

1. Open a patient session
2. Place your cursor anywhere you want the dictated text to appear
3. Click the microphone icon on the right side of the page
4. Select “Dictation” from the options in the modal
5. Click “Start” to begin dictation
6. Speak clearly to dictate your text

Where to Use Dictation

Dictation can be used in multiple places throughout Vena:

1. In the Notes tab when entering clinical information
2. In the Transcription area (when stopped/paused)
3. In any Generations tab content field
4. In context fields when generating content

Cursor Placement for Dictation

Unlike transcription, dictation allows you to:

1. Place your cursor at any specific point in the document
2. Dictate text that will be inserted at that location
3. Move your cursor to different locations between dictation sessions

Real-time Text Entry

1. With the dictation feature active, simply speak clearly
2. Your words will appear in the selected area in real-time
3. To make corrections, stop the dictation and then edit the text manually

Punctuation Commands

Dictation automatically formats spoken punctuation commands into their corresponding punctuation marks:

Example of Dictation with Punctuation

When you speak:

"Patient presents with a headache comma nausea comma and vomiting period They report the headache started two days ago period"

It will be transcribed as:

"Patient presents with a headache, nausea, and vomiting. They report the headache started two days ago."

Text Editor Capabilities

The editor in Vena offers rich formatting options that work with both typing and dictation:

Formatting Options

1. Bold text: Select text and use the bold button or keyboard shortcut
2. Italics: Emphasize text with italics
3. Headers: Create different levels of headings to organize your notes
4. Point form/Lists: Create bulleted or numbered lists for organized information

Using Formatting with Dictation

1. Select the formatting option you want to use (e.g., bold, headers)
2. Start dictation
3. The dictated text will appear with the selected formatting, just as if you were typing

Undo/Redo Functionality

The editor includes back and forward arrow buttons for state navigation:

1. Use the back arrow to undo recent changes
2. Use the forward arrow to redo changes
3. Important: Be careful when using the back arrow after making new edits, as moving back and then editing can cause newer changes to be lost

Multilingual Support

Vena supports transcription in 30 different languages, including:

Supported Languages

Language Selection

Before starting transcription, you can select your preferred language. The system will automatically detect and transcribe in the selected language.

Translation Example

You can use transcription for translation purposes:

1. Transcribe content in any of the supported languages
2. In the Generations tab’s context field, add a request: “Generate the output in English”
3. This will translate your transcribed content to English

Tips for Effective Transcription

1. Speak Clearly: Articulate your words clearly for better accuracy
2. Moderate Pace: Speak at a normal conversational pace, not too fast
3. Pause Management: Be aware that long pauses will stop the transcription
4. Background Noise: Find a quiet environment for the best results
5. Microphone Position: Ensure your microphone is properly positioned and working

Combining Transcription with Other Features

Using Transcription with Generations

1. You can either dictate, transcribe, or type your initial clinical observations in the Notes tab
2. Switch to the Generations tab to create structured content based on your notes
3. Use dictation in the context fields to provide additional information for content generation

Editing Transcribed Content

1. Stop the transcription by clicking the microphone icon and selecting “Stop”
2. Edit the text as needed
3. Continue transcription by opening the modal again and clicking “Start”
4. Your edits will be preserved, and new transcription will be added after your cursor position