Ambient artificial intelligence is restoring the human connection to medicine by liberating physicians from administrative drudgery and significantly reducing professional burnout.
Experts from the University of Chicago Medical Center contributed to two papers published in JAMA Network Open validating the impact of “ambient clinical documentation”. These tools record patient interactions to automatically draft accurate clinical notes, allowing doctors to focus on patients rather than screens.
A survey of more than 250 providers found that self-reported burnout fell from roughly 52 per cent to 39 per cent after adopting the technology.
A separate analysis of a pilot programme revealed that users spent 8.5 per cent less time in electronic health records (EHRs) and reduced note-writing time by more than 15 per cent compared to a matched control group.
Recouping hours per week
“At first glance, an 8.5% reduction in documentation time might seem small, but when you do the math, a clinician who sees 20 patients per day and saves two or three minutes per patient by using an ambient AI scribe could recoup multiple hours per week,” said Kevin Pearlman, MD, a clinical informatics fellow at UChicago Medicine.
The research aimed to verify whether the efficiency gains justified the investment for healthcare systems.
“Physicians notice the impact of having their cognitive load lightened,” said Neda Laiteerapong, MD, senior author on the UChicago Medicine-specific study.
“We’re more focused throughout the day and less mentally exhausted, leaving more energy and compassion to dedicate to improving patients’ quality of life, even through seemingly small changes like ordering lab tests further ahead of a clinical visit.”
