Ambient clinical documentation lets clinicians focus on patients

Editor's Note

Ambient clinical documentation is making big inroads among physicians, according to a report on the recent Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference published by CNBC on March 16.

This year’s conference attracted more than 30,000 health and technology professionals to Orlando, Florida March 3-6. Highlights of the CNBC report include:

• A large majority—90%—of physicians report experiencing burnout according to a survey from Athenahealth, and the required demands of paperwork is cited as a major contributing factor. 
• More than 60% of doctors surveyed said they felt overwhelmed by reporting requirements which can add an additional 15 hours per week to their normal workload.
• Ambient technology helps doctors streamline these functions using AI-based chat functionality that turn conversations into automatic clinical notes and visit summaries, alleviating burden and allowing them to spend more face-to-face time with patients.
• Companies with tech solutions in this space include Microsoft’s Nuance Communications, Abridge and Suki. 
• Dax Copilot, a solution from Microsoft’s Nuance Communications is now used by over 200 organizations, including Stanford Healthcare, where 96% of physicians surveyed said they found it easy to use.  

The founder of another tech solution, Dr. Shiv Rao, founder and CEO of Abridge, told CNBC that their technology allows her to better focus on her patients. “When I hit start, have a conversation, then hit stop, I can swivel my chair and within seconds, the note’s there.”