AI Scribes in the Doctor’s Office: How Technology Is Changing Patient Care

Giana Fernandes

If you’ve recently been to a doctor’s office, you may have noticed how much time the doctor spends typing instead of talking directly to you. For many healthcare providers, this is often a necessity. Writing notes and filling out electronic health record (EHR) forms can take up more than half of their workday. These administrative tasks can contribute to burnout and diminish the quality of care patients receive. However, a new tool called “ambient artificial intelligence scribes” is aiming to change this.

Ambient AI scribes were first introduced in 2020 with the intention to reduce the amount of time doctors spent on notes and documentation. Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) by Nuance Communications was one of the first systems developed as a tool for doctors. Doctors would use a mobile app to record patient conversations and the AI would draft notes that would then be checked by human reviewers before being added to the EHR. By handling documentation, these ambient AI scribes allow doctors to stay focused on their conversations instead of typing. In one study, after just 30 days of using an AI scribe, the number of doctors experiencing burnout dropped from 52% to 39%. The study also found that doctors felt less stressed about taking notes and were able to give their patients more attention during appointments.

Additionally, AI scribes don’t just help doctors, but they can make a difference for patients too. Recent research has shown that patients who read AI-generated notes feel more confident and have a better understanding of their care plans. Many of these patients have reported that AI generated notes have helped explain their treatments in a way that’s easier to follow. Even simple tools like automated AI reminders were reported to help patients with organization and avoid missing appointments. 

Of course, AI scribes come with challenges as well. Sometimes the notes they produce contain errors, which means doctors still need to review and edit them carefully. There’s also the risk of doctors relying too heavily on technology and losing their note-taking and critical thinking skills, a problem commonly referred to as “cognitive debt.” Privacy and security are other important concerns since these systems handle sensitive medical information. Plus, adding AI scribes into existing computer systems can be complicated and expensive, especially for smaller clinics. Also, because the technology is still new, it’s hard to predict how it will affect the healthcare industry in the long run. Yet, even with these challenges, AI scribes can still improve doctor efficiency and free up time for other important tasks. If hospitals and clinics implement this technology thoughtfully and carefully, it could have a significant positive impact on the overall healthcare industry.

Overall, AI scribes are changing what a visit to the doctor could look like. By taking care of administrative tasks, doctors are able to focus more on patients, while patients are able to better understand their care and receive faster, more efficient support.  There are still challenges to navigate, including privacy, accuracy, and smooth integration into existing systems, yet even with these hurdles, AI scribes are quickly changing and transforming the healthcare industry.

Copy editor: Prisha Dev

Photography source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23531340-800-artificial-intelligence-ushers-in-the-era-of-superhuman-doctors/