In January 2023, an article in the online journal Perspectives in Health Information Management estimated that there might have been 100,000 human medical scribes serving approximately 1 million active physicians throughout the U.S. In the 18 months since then, many of those humans have had to find another line of work for one reason — the rise of medical scribes powered by artificial intelligence.
The article delineates two trends — the nearly universal adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) over the last decade, followed by a second wave of automation in which AI medical scribes for daily documentation are gaining widespread acceptance.
AI scribes are changing the landscape of medical documentation because they are directly applicable to the very heart of medicine — the provider/patient encounter. As the article notes, “no human mind or multidisciplinary, multispecialty team of minds can complete the critical integration and clinically meaningful application of the tsunami of continuously expanding medical science…”
Or, as many doctors would no doubt express it when it comes to completing daily documentation: “Can I get a little help here?!”
Boosting Clinical Efficiency with AI Scribes
If AI medical scribes were being adopted only here and there, they might be classified with any number of technological “innovations” that shone brightly for a time before falling by the wayside or losing out to more nimble competitors — think of Napster, Netscape, and MySpace.
But such scribes continue to grow in popularity, including among major medical systems. In March, the Permanente Medical Group, the nation’s largest physician-led group, adopted AI medical scribes, starting with 10,000 physicians across diverse clinical settings.
Early assessments have been favorable, citing the “technology’s capability to facilitate more personal, meaningful, and effective patient interactions and to reduce the burden of after-hours clerical work.”
Physicians at Stanford Health Care have also been adopting AI scribes this year. And the story is being repeated in systems and practices large and small nationwide.
Many of the more than 50,000 physicians nationwide that trust Sunoh.ai’s medical scribe have reported saving two or more hours per provider per day on clinical documentation. Less focus on the computer means a more in-depth patient visit, deeper understanding, and an easier time completing Progress Notes and developing effective treatment plans.
Can AI Scribes Alleviate Physician Burnout?
And some of the time savings, to be sure, aren’t being spent on medical care at all. They are instead going directly to reduce the risks of physician burnout by giving providers and staff more personal time. Rather than taking work home with them, providers are able to leave work at the office, spend time with their families, go to the gym, work out, or simply relax at home.
Correlation is not causation, of course, and it may be too soon for a thorough study of AI medical scribes and burnout, but there are some hopeful trends. Dr. Christine Sinsky, vice president of Professional Satisfaction at the American Medical Association, reported in August that rates of burnout have fallen from 56% in 2021 to 48% in 2023. And date for the first half of 2024 suggests the rate may be as low as 45% today.
Enhancing Patient Care Through AI-Powered Documentation
Lower rates of burnout are good to see, but the primary reason for adopting AI medical scribes remains improving the efficiency of documentation. The real test is whether such scribes are faster and better than using humans.
There is evidence that both conditions are being met.
Data reported in February 2024 by New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, based on 21 patient surveys, found 71% of patients were spending more time speaking with their doctor, and 81% of patients reported their doctor spent less time looking at a computer screen during the visit. And all the patients reported either no change or a positive change as a result of AI medical scribe use.
Accuracy and Completeness: The AI Scribe Advantage
That same NEJM Catalyst study assessed 35 examples of medical transcripts, which achieve an average score of 48 out of 50 possible points in the “free from bias, synthesized, internally consistent, and succinct domains,” as well as excellent results in “thorough, organized, and accurate” domains.
Combined with the significant cost-savings of AI medical scribes over humans — and the obvious facts that they don’t tire, get sick, or need time off — the rise of AI medical scribes seems certain to continue.
Overcoming Implementation Hurdles
Of course, not every practice has adopted such technologies, and some will continue to delay moving to AI technologies for various reasons, including fears about cost, learning curves, privacy, and other factors.
Such concerns are completely legitimate, but solutions such as Sunoh.ai offer assurance that they need not stop progress toward more efficient workflows.
Sunoh offers free demos so that practices can see exactly how its ambient listening technology works, and experts are available to guide practices with implementation. Sunoh is available as a standalone solution with leading EHRs, and is tightly integrated for users of the eClinicalWorks EHR.
How Are AI Scribes Tackling Privacy and Security?
As to security, vendors in today’s highly regulated and intensely competitive healthcare IT marketplace have no choice but to conform to the highest standards for protection of patients’ personal health information (PHI) and the security of all systems they deploy.
Sunoh takes privacy and security of patient data very seriously. We sign business associate agreements as required under HIPAA. Sunoh follows the necessary administrative, physical, and technical safeguards as required by HIPAA. And Sunoh uses industry-standard encryption and security protocols.
It is important to note, however, that no hardware or software by itself is HIPAA compliant. Users of any healthcare IT product have obligations they must fulfil in order to ensure that the technology is being used in a way that protects PHI.
The Future of AI Scribes in Healthcare
Predicting the future of AI medical scribes is difficult, in part because no one can know when and where the next major breakthrough will occur. It is clear, however, that the size of the AI market in general, as well as the pace of development, paint a very bright future for AI in healthcare.
According to Zippia.com, the worldwide market for all AI software is expected to grow from $10.1 billion in 2018 to $126 billion next year — a remarkable 1,250%. And the same source reports that “75% of executives are afraid they’ll go out of business in the next five years if they don’t implement and scale AI in their organizations.”
That speaks to a reality in today’s healthcare: You can continue to do business as you have, but only for a time. The realities of competition suggest that practices that don’t take advance of leading-edge solutions will see a decline in patient satisfaction, an increase in burnout, and a subsequent loss of market share. AI member scribes are only one factor, but they are at the heart of healthcare documentation, leaving practices with little choice but to adopt them.
Beyond Documentation: Expanding AI Scribe Capabilities
It is also important for medical providers and their staff to recognize that AI medical scribes have an impact far beyond the patient encounter. Because they lessen the time needed for documentation, they are enabling practices to see more patients each day and even expand the range of services they offer.
And even in the absence of new services, more time available throughout the day empowers practices to invest in preventive care outreach campaigns, better manage population health initiatives, and devote time to the additional training that can deepen their understanding and effective use of the many other tools they have to offer their patients.
Take the Next Step
In many areas of daily life, AI is making things a lot easier for consumers, who quickly notice the convenience and speed they experience and soon come to expect no less from their healthcare providers.
With Sunoh.ai, there’s every opportunity to meet their expectations. Sunoh captures the details of each clinic visit, leaving you free to focus on the patient, truly understand their needs, and improve the quality of care you deliver every day.
Our team will guide you through the setup process and help transition you to our AI-powered ambient listening technology. Join the healthcare providers who have already improved their documentation process with Sunoh.
Start your conversation today! Click here to chat with one of our staff and set up your Sunoh demonstration.
