For the second year in a row, the number of clinical trials in the UK rose again.
Trials rose from 411 in 2022 to 426 in 2023, which is the latest data available.
And as more clinical trials go ahead in the UK, medical transcription remains just as crucial.
Transcription is vital to ensure accuracy, minimise risks and it upholds clinical integrity.
That being said, that isn’t the be-all and end-all of it. There is more detail about each point to explore in this blog to find out why transcription can’t be overlooked.
How is transcription used in clinical trials?
Clinical transcription comes under the umbrella of medical transcription.
Research studies take place to evaluate medical, surgical or behavioural treatments or preventative measures.
As a result, feedback and patient interviews take place that need to be accurately transcribed from audio or video recordings, including verbatim.
Clinical notes may also need to be transcribed.
Why is medical transcription important in clinical trials?
Accuracy
This is a huge factor.
Clinical trials are dependent on factually correct results and information, such as patient records.
To facilitate that, transcription can involve 1-1 moderator with a patient, 1-1 moderator with a doctor, focus groups, raw data, and more.
Turning to AI transcription instead of human transcription does bring accuracy flaws.
For example, in late 2024, researchers came out saying that OpenAI’s transcription tool, Whisper, was hallucinating (making up text). Concerningly, it’s used in hospitals for the likes of consultations.
What’s more, interviews with software engineers, developers and academic researchers outlined that the tool could make up sections of text or full sentences. This is said to even include ‘racial commentary, violent rhetoric and even imagined medical treatments’.
That being said, OpenAI has warned that the transcription tool shouldn’t be used in ‘high-risk domains’.
At TauRho, we would highly recommend human transcription for medical and clinical trial settings.
Minimised risk of errors
Using a human transcriber limits the risks of errors, as opposed to using AI or going off notes.
Here are a few risks:
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- Any false or misleading information could lead to a misdiagnosis, errors in medication or unsuitable treatment.
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- Harmed data integrity
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- If patients are harmed, healthcare providers could be involved in legal proceedings
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- Errors can lead to non-compliance
Getting medical transcription right is the difference between a smooth trials process and potentially facing these risks.
When you get it right, the correct actions can be taken.
“Every word matters here. By creating precise, verbatim records of interviews, consultations, and discussions, transcription ensures that no detail is lost or misinterpreted. This accuracy protects data integrity, supports regulatory compliance and ultimately safeguards the reliability of trial outcomes.”
– Tamara Morris, Head of Inside Sales, TauRho Transcribes
Upholds clinical integrity
Just one mistake in transcription can skew the data, especially in phase one when it may involve just 15 – 25 people.
For example, if no direct transcription occurs and it’s just based on notes, or AI transcription is used and false information is noted, then the integrity of the data is flawed.
Therefore, you may not get the true data that you would have had the errors been removed or the correct information was written down.
In Whisper transcriptions, one machine learning engineer said he found hallucinations in around half of more than 100 hours of information.
If hallucinations are sneaking into a chunk of transcriptions and could invent commentary, then it’s a dangerous tool to solely use in that setting.
Conclusion
The importance of transcription in this situation cannot be understated.
It is a high-risk domain where every word or utterance matters – a few words that are errors or missed in the initial phases can shape the journey of an entire trial.
When it matters, there is no need to take shortcuts.
Contact us today or read more about medical transcription services.
