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Oncologists represent some of the most important medical professionals, treating patients living with many different forms of cancer across a range of treatment plans.

While the breadth of potential medical conditions that an oncologist will deal with is certainly broad, these professionals also rely on a range of treatment plans. Along with initial diagnosis, individuals are required to formulate treatment plans or palliative care options, as well as manage patients who enter remission.

Rising cancer rates in Australia are also placing greater pressure on these professionals to stay productive and efficient during their day.

Cancer treatments remain in high demand

Within the umbrella of conditions that are referred to as cancers, there has been considerable growth in patient numbers. According to Cancer Australia, 2015 will see an additional 126,800 new cancer diagnoses, with prostate cancer alone accounting for almost 25 per cent of new cases. Other common cancers include bowel (13.5 per cent), breast (12.4 per cent) and melanoma (10.2 per cent).

Further figures from the Cancer Council Australia suggest this problem is only going to grow further in the future, with the current number of new diagnoses expected to reach 150,000 in 2020.

While these figures point to a number of issues facing oncologists, the growing range of treatment plans are improving patient outcomes. The Cancer Research foundation found that the survival rates for cancer have increased by more than 20 per cent in the last 30 years, underscoring the improvements in patient outcomes.

This improvement and diversification of cancer treatments is certainly useful, but it also places greater pressure on oncologists to create and communicate patient treatment plans that can achieve these outcomes. That is where Dragon Medical  can assist.

How can Dragon Medical assist oncologists? 

Oncologists facing a high patient load will need to be sure they are employing technology that can assist with the management of these essential services. Voice recognition software is one example, offering oncologists and similar medical professionals the opportunity to transcribe patient notes and similar documents as fast as they can speak.

Dragon Medical is also accompanied by a dedicated vocabulary that is specifically designed for medical practitioners. This can ensure their notes are composed both accurately and quickly, minimising confusion.

With this assistance, oncologists can convey the same depth of information they need to in order to manage a diverse and complicated range of medical conditions.