Hearing other person on therapy recording session

[muselarz]

Hi there,

Unfortunately, most forums are not allowed due to HIPAA/privacy/confidentiality issues (like zoom, skype). Also, we cannot have an external recorder because then we'd have to somehow upload that audio file and the VA firewall prevents that- everything has to be done within the VA-compliant environment. A few follow-up questions:

1- Would you recommend both people being recorded are hands-free (no headset)?

2- Is it definitely true that none of the dropdown menus in Audacity help with audio quality (e.g., Windows WASPI, MME, Windows Direct Sound)?

3- I had a practice session and when I had the microphone plugged in I could only hear

[muselarz]

Sorry my previous post got cut off

My last question is:

Would ME having an external microphone enhance their audio quality?

Again, please see below about the testing session I had because this may shed some light on the issue:

-When I did not have the microphone enabled and the other person did not have a headset, I could hear them fine and could NOT hear me in the playback
-When I enabled my microphone, I could only hear myself and NOT them in the playback
-When I had had no microphone and the other person had a headset: I could only hear myself in the playback

[kozikowski]

There's no question I can make recommendations to improve the voice quality in the session. That is, make your voice clearer and more pleasant to the client and make their voice clearer and more pleasant to you.

None of these recommendations is going to provide a two-voice recording.

Let me know.

Koz

[muselarz]

Hi there,

I did want to follow up on these questions below:

1- Would you recommend both people being recorded are hands-free (no headset)?
2- Is it definitely true that none of the dropdown menus in Audacity help with audio quality (e.g., Windows WASPI, MME, Windows Direct Sound)?
3- Would person recording having a microphone help?

Thanks!

[steve]

1- Would you recommend both people being recorded are hands-free (no headset)?

That is unlikely to make much difference.

2- Is it definitely true that none of the dropdown menus in Audacity help with audio quality (e.g., Windows WASPI, MME, Windows Direct Sound)?

That is unlikely to make much difference.

3- Would person recording having a microphone help?

That is unlikely to make much difference.


The thing that would make a difference is: viewtopic.php?p=414448#p414448
You said: "it's just not feasible unfortunately".
Perhaps you can find a way to make it feasible.

[kozikowski]

Both people being hands-free is the least stressful given what you do and with usually OK quality.

No question the best hardware decision is put both people on headphones. Not headsets. Just headphones.

Screen Shot 2021-01-27 at 1.10.19 PM.png (372.55 KiB) Viewed 166 times

During a full hands-free session, VA Video Connect has to actively manage room echoes and destructive feedback at both locations, perfectly, and in real-time. With plain old two-muff headphones most of that sound management task vanishes. You can expect most if not all of the honky, swooshy, talking into a wine glass or milk jug effect to vanish in favor of clear speech.

You affect each other. Your headphones will make you sound better to the client and vice versa. So if all you did was buy good headphones, that would help them a lot.

Having said all that, if the client is sitting at the kitchen table, they are still going to sound like talking in a kitchen. It's just one layer of voice distortion will vanish.


There is an internet note here. My internet downlink works OK (Youtube cats, etc), but my uplink barely supports voice. So I can hear you, but you will not be able to hear me no matter what.


There is no recommended microphone. Not that it wouldn't help, it's just glance over the forum questions and see how many of them have to do with microphone trouble.

How to I get my microphone to work?
My voice is really low.
My voice is distorted.
My computer won't recognize my microphone.
My voice is tinny and hissy.

Headsets have their own problems. Many gamer headsets are pretty awful. Mine is in a box in the garage. USB headsets have built-in echo because of the data management. Run the other way.

Koz

[steve]

The "professional" solution is to use more hardware: 2 computers and a mixer. Use one computer for the call, and the other for recording. The mixer handles routing the signals.

[kozikowski]

I just went back over the notes and I think this is a good time for you to flesh this out a little.

I got the impression that we were making a recording so you could more easily review a session so to better provide care.

But that's not the case any more.

we'd have to somehow upload that audio file

To whom and for what? It sounds like we just tip-toed over the line into surveillance and security. If you are providing a valuable service for other departments or people, it seems to me VA management or IT should be providing this service, not a free audio recording program.

Further, Audacity recently got a note from Dell Computer concerning possible security problems and vulnerabilities.

So between that and HIPAA, this could be seriously uphill, even past the technical problems.

Koz

[jademan]

VA Support says that due to privacy concerns, VA Video Connect doesn't support recording. Since most people connect hands-free, they recommend taking a stand-alone sound recorder or voice recording app on your phone with you and leave it running on the table or desk during the call.

Koz

All VA systems are set up so recording by the system is not possible. Although not common, the course of treatment may indicate the necessity of video or photographic recording as part of treatment. Any recording deemed necessary must be captured using other technologies. When video or photographic recording is done as a part of telehealth treatment, VA Form 10-3203 - Consent for Production and Use of Verbal or Written Statements, Photographs, Digital Images and/or Video or Audio Recordings, must be completed prior to the recording in order to obtain written consent from the patient. This form should be kept as part of the patient electronic health record.
Veterans may choose to record sessions without obtaining the consent of the provider. Providers are recommended to conduct all sessions under the assumption that they are being recorded. While a memo was released on Dec 14, 2017 regarding patient recording on clinical encounters, it has been since rescinded. Refer to the Patient Recording of Clinical Encounters Memo - Rescinded for more information.

I like koz's idea, although I don't see that "other technologies" excludes Audacity. Also, see next post.

[jademan]

I wasn't sure if this was possible, so I did a concept test. I am not familiar with cakewalk - but it is free (now), so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I set up cakewalk to record my laptop microphone (MME) while simultaneously playing a familiar song on youtube, which I listened to via earbugs on my laptop. Meanwhile Audacity was recording stereo mix (MME). I then exported the audio (WAV) from cakewalk and imported into Audacity. It was a simple matter for me (since I knew the words), to line up the two audios (via the Time Shift Tool=F5).

This was only a concept test. I have not tried this with Skype or VA Connect.

I hope this helps.