Clinician Burnout Reduced Through An AI Assistant

Background – Clinician Burnout

Clinicians are spending excessive time on EHR systems which leads to burnout and less satisfaction with their work. Physicians spend more than half of their working time on EHR-related tasks¹. This averages to be 4.5 hours while in the clinic, and 1.5 hours during their personal time¹. The excessive time doctors spend on EHR-related tasks is due to documentation and reporting requirements¹. Unfortunately, clinicians end up spending less time seeing patients and communicating with other healthcare professionals because of these burdens. This can lead to medical errors for patients and increased frustration in the workplace. Therefore, the current method of handling EHR is proving to be more detrimental to healthcare staff and patients than it is beneficial.

Solution – AI Assistant

An innovative solution is to implement an AI assistant that lessens the time spent on documentation². Over 132 physicians and clinicians used an AI assistant for a 30-day study². 60% of the doctors implemented and paid for the AI assistant after the study because it saved them an average of 3.3 hours for each clinician per week². The AI assistant was helpful because it reduced the time needed on a document by 72%². 

The AI assistant had cloud, voice, and mobile technologies integrated. Physicians easily access it through apps on mobile devices and on the web because it was only software. Additionally, the AI works with common EHR systems to provide a better adaptation. Another reason it was useful was because of the voice feature that allowed it to act as a scribe. The deep learning feature allows the AI to adapt and learn based on what tasks the doctor gives it. For instance, it knows where to place the verbal text a physician says based on the intent in their voice and the current documentation². Therefore, it cuts down on time spent on editing documents manually and inputting data. Thanks to this integrated solution, many clinicians no longer faced excess frustration due to burnout and felt more positive about their work.

Conclusion

EHR systems have been increasing the burden physicians face as well as decreasing workplace satisfaction. The documentation requirements and inefficient systems lead to less time with patients, and can even cause misdiagnosis due to the lack of clinical collaboration. Clinicians can spend more time with their patients and staff, and less time managing and inputting data due to an integrated AI Assitant that assists them with EHR-related tasks.

References

1. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/evaluating-ai-digital-assistants-primary-care-physicians
2. https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/practice_management/innovation_lab/report-suki-assistant-documentation-burden.pdf