According to a new randomized trial, introducing ambient artificial intelligence scribes in clinics is reducing health care practitioner burnout and reducing time spent documenting patient notes.
The trial was run by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. It also acted as a way to thoughtfully implement AI into the health system.
“Traditionally, providers spend a significant amount of time documenting their patients’ stories and their professional thoughts,” Dr. Joel Gordon, chief medical information officer at UW Health, said in a statement. “Ambient AI can draft notes securely in the background while the provider and patient interact directly.”
Ambient AI technology is a tool that can record, transcribe and analyze the discussion between a health care practitioner and patient during an appointment, creating a draft note that the provider reviews and uses as part of the patient’s visit documentation.
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine AI in two parts. The first article established a trial framework and protocols to design, monitor and evaluate ambient AI within routine care.
The second article examined the effect of ambient AI on health care practitioner burnout and well-being.
The ambient AI technology used at UW Health is created by Abridge.
IB Madison held a Health Care Summit in October with a panel of experts who examined how AI is used in health care.
