How to dictate eye exam findings for optometrists in 2026

Prepare a consistent note order, dictate eye exam findings in short sections, and check the finished record before saving it.

By XP Daily · 2026-11-02

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Start with the correct patient record and a consistent order for the findings. Dictate a short section, check the text against the examination, and correct it before moving on. Choose a tool only after checking the practice's rules for patient information, its suitability for the record system, and permission for professional use.

Option	How to use or assess it	Things to check
An existing practice-approved dictation tool	Try a sample without patient information in the intended record field.	Check professional-use permission, speech handling, retention and corrections.
A recorder for a later written draft	Establish an approved process for recording, preparing and reviewing the text.	Check recording permission, storage, responsibility for the draft and deletion.
QuickDictate	Types speech into whichever window is being used. ^[1]	From v0.9.0, QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0. ^[1] Commercial use needs a separate licence. ^[1] Check practice approval for patient information.

What you need before you start

Have the record, the findings and a way to review the text ready before starting.

The correct patient record. Confirm the patient and visit before placing the cursor. Keep the relevant examination notes available so the dictated entry reflects what was actually recorded.
A consistent note order. Decide where each part belongs, such as the reason for the visit, examination findings, assessment and plan. Follow the practice's existing format rather than creating a different order for each entry.
Clear eye labels and measurements. Have the intended eye, value, sign and unit ready for each measurement. Decide how to express abbreviations so the finished text can be checked without guessing.
An approved way to handle patient information. Check the practice's requirements for recording, sending, storing and deleting speech and text before including identifiable details.
A place to check the result. Make sure the destination field is visible and editable. Keep enough time to read the finished note before saving it.

Set aside a short block before beginning the record. Start with a sample that contains no patient information to check where the text goes and how it appears.

Step by step

These steps work with whichever dictation method the practice approves.

Open the record you intend to complete. Confirm the patient, visit and destination field. Close unrelated records if they could cause confusion, and place the cursor where the findings belong before starting speech entry.
Choose the order before speaking. Follow the record's existing sections. Keep the reason for the visit, measured findings, interpretation and plan in their intended places rather than mixing them into a continuous account.
Prepare the source findings. Refer to the examination record rather than reconstructing measurements from memory. If an entry is unclear, resolve it before dictating instead of filling the gap with an assumption.
Begin with a short section. Dictate a complete thought, then pause to inspect the result. Establish that the text is reaching the intended field before continuing with the rest of the note.
Make the eye reference explicit. State which eye a finding concerns when the context could be unclear. Read the resulting wording and confirm that the side has not been omitted, changed or attached to another finding.
Check measurements as they appear. Compare each value, sign, decimal and unit with the source findings. Check the text itself rather than assuming that a correctly spoken measurement became a correctly written measurement.
Keep observations and interpretation distinct. Put what was observed or measured in the findings section. Put the assessment and intended actions in their designated places, following the practice's documentation format.
Correct uncertain wording immediately. Stop if a phrase is ambiguous or an abbreviation has changed meaning. Edit the text directly when needed, then reread the complete sentence so a correction does not leave conflicting wording behind.
Review the complete entry. Read from beginning to end and compare it with the examination record. Check eye references, measurements, omitted findings and any wording that could reverse the intended meaning.
Save and confirm the result. Check that the completed text remains in the intended record and section. Handle any temporary recording or draft according to the practice's rules, and leave the next record ready for a fresh check.

Tools that can do it

QuickDictate is made by the team that publishes this site. Here are options to consider. Check permission for professional use and the handling of patient information before choosing a method.

A dictation tool already approved by the practice. Check whether the existing tool can enter text into the required record fields. Try a sample without patient information, including representative eye labels and measurements. Ask how speech is processed, whether recordings are retained, and how corrections are made. No specific rival's features or costs are provided here.

A recorder for a later written draft. Consider this route only if the practice permits recordings and has a process for turning them into a checked record. Establish who will prepare the text, where temporary files may be kept, and when they must be removed. Check the recorder's own details before choosing it.

QuickDictate. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what is said into whichever window is being used. ^[1] Hold a key while talking, or press a key to start and again to stop; both keys can be changed. ^[1]

QuickDictate runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. ^[1] Commercial use needs a separate licence. ^[1]

QuickDictate can use speech services from ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope or Google, with the chosen service billing directly. ^[1] To dictate offline with QuickDictate, first install files that let it recognise speech on the computer. ^[1] Dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. ^[1]

QuickDictate allows a list of words and phrases to help the speech service recognise them, plus corrections to spellings in the dictated text. ^[1] Check the finished clinical wording even after preparing those aids.

Common mistakes to avoid

Starting in the wrong field. Confirm the record and cursor position before speaking. Repeat that check after switching between records or moving to another part of the examination form.

Leaving the eye reference implied. Read each finding as a separate statement. If the intended eye is unclear without surrounding text, revise the entry before saving it.

Accepting a plausible measurement. Compare the written value with the source finding, including its sign, decimal and unit. Do not approve a value just because it looks reasonable.

Dictating beyond the available findings. Keep the entry tied to the examination record. Resolve missing or unclear information rather than allowing the flow of speech to turn an assumption into a recorded finding.

Saving without a complete read. Review the whole entry after individual corrections. Check that the changes have not left a repeated phrase, an omission or conflicting wording.

Things to check before you choose. Is professional use permitted? Does the practice approve the handling of patient information? Can the required record fields be completed and corrected? What happens to temporary audio and text? Resolve these questions before using identifiable patient details.

Frequently asked questions

Can QuickDictate enter eye exam findings into a record field?

QuickDictate types dictated text into whichever window has focus, including a web form or editor. ^[1] Before using patient information, check the intended record field with a sample and confirm practice approval. Review the resulting eye labels, measurements and wording against the examination record before saving the entry.

Can QuickDictate dictate without an internet connection?

To dictate offline with QuickDictate, first install files that let it recognise speech on the computer. ^[1] Dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. ^[1] Check the practice's requirements for patient information before choosing a method. Use a sample without patient details to assess the workflow, then plan time to review and correct the finished text.

Does QuickDictate require a licence for commercial use?

From v0.9.0, QuickDictate is source-available under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0, free for personal and other noncommercial use. ^[1] Commercial use needs a separate licence. Releases up to v0.8.0 were MIT. ^[1] When a cloud provider is selected, that provider bills directly for its service. ^[1] Check the intended professional use and the provider's terms before choosing this route. Keep the licence decision separate from the practice's review of how patient information will be handled.

Can QuickDictate help with specialised eye exam wording?

QuickDictate can send a prepared list of words and phrases to the provider to help recognition, and its replacement table can correct specified spellings. ^[1] Prepare representative wording without patient details, inspect the result, and revise the list as needed. Continue checking each clinical entry against the source findings before saving it.

How does QuickDictate start and stop dictation?

QuickDictate allows holding a key while talking or pressing a key to start and again to stop, and both keys can be changed. ^[1] Before starting, confirm the patient record and intended field. Pause after a short section to inspect the text, correct any errors, and confirm the next destination before continuing.

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. ^[1]

Try QuickDictate

Sources

QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)