Healthcare needs an infusion. Quick. 

Deloitte writes that impending staff shortages are unprecedented, with “frontline workers increasingly burned out, overworked, and unsatisfied…and leaving healthcare in droves.” The shortage of healthcare workers in the US is expected to top 3 million in 2026 — a fact unfortunately coinciding with an aging population and projected massive increase in patients over the next twenty years. 

According to CMS.gov, people over 65 represent 17% of the US population, yet they account for 37% of healthcare expenditures. They are hospitalized three times more often than younger adults, have more extended stays, and have more complex conditions. The 65+ population is expected to reach 80 million in 2045, representing roughly 1 in 4 Americans.

The problem? We aren’t graduating enough care professionals to meet future care demands, and we definitely aren’t replacing those leaving their jobs at the necessary rate.

Larry Adams, RN, Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at ShiftMed states, “We lose about 27% of nurses in their first year of employment at any facility, and that’s a national number. We have to do something better to retain those.” 

One of the biggest pain-points driving clinicians from their posts is the overwhelming amount of administrative burdens and paperwork. With patient appointments averaging 30 minutes and corresponding paperwork taking 36 minutes to complete, it’s no wonder they need help. Documentation is an essential part of the job. But the math simply doesn’t add up. More time spent on documentation means less time with patients and even less time with new patients. The bottom line? Administrative burdens and paperwork are preventing providers from doing their jobs, and leaving revenue on the table. 

On the Digital Checkup podcast with Bill Siwicki, Adams points towards AI, which he refers to as “Augmented Intelligence,” as a solution for clinician retention, acknowledging that AI radically helps predictive analytics for scheduling and data-driven decision making and support. 

AI is also poised to make some radical changes to healthcare documentation when used as an automatic scribe. AI scribes offer a relatively low-cost solution that can even the scales of staffing supply and demand, with AI assistants like Playback Health and others like it streamlining administrative tasks, improving clinical efficiency, and ultimately contributing to higher revenue and retention rates.

There are several ways in which AI assistants can make an immediate and significant impact:

1. Reduced Administrative Burden and Burnout

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Automating paperwork drudgery helps clinicians get back to the purpose and passion of their work, giving them literally more time to care. 

The first and most obvious solution is to stop the bleeding. AI scribes take on the time-consuming task of documenting and recording patient encounters with the necessary specificity. By accurately capturing and processing details during consultations, these systems drastically reduce the time providers spend writing notes, scheduling follow-ups, and updating medical records. AI scribes enable clinicians to see more patients when they’d otherwise be tied to their keyboards, effectively releasing supply constraints and allowing doctors to do what they are trained to do: provide quality care, face-to-face.  

The administrative load in healthcare is a known factor contributing to burnout among healthcare professionals, with 46% of clinicians reporting high levels of burnout. By alleviating this burden, AI scribes help improve job satisfaction and retention. Supported, engaged providers will likely be more productive and stay longer in their roles, which helps stabilize the healthcare workforce.

2. Improved Patient-Clinician Partnership

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Empowered patients are good for health systems— they tend to heal faster and manage their illnesses better. In order for a patient to become empowered in the first place, they need to connect with their clinicians.  

When a busy doctor is finally supported with an AI scribe, they can step away from their computer screens and get back in front of their patients, listening and connecting instead of struggling to remember and type every detail of what their patient is saying. This improved interaction can enhance patient satisfaction and outcomes, enabling clinicians to practice the attentive face-to-face care for which they’ve tirelessly trained. 

With AI scribes managing documentation, healthcare providers can focus more on the clinical aspects of their practice. Providers are less drained by paperwork and can dedicate more energy and attention to patient interactions.  Patients feel heard and are more engaged and trusting in their care, enhancing patient satisfaction scores and increasing overall health system success. 

3. Coding Accuracy with AI Insights 

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Poor communication in any industry causes problems, but in healthcare, the consequences of miscommunication come with incredibly high stakes. It’s estimated that 27% of instances of medical malpractice are the result of poor communication, and numbers like that are as unacceptable as they are concerning. AI insights play a pivotal role in mitigating misunderstandings caused by lost or poor communication, incomplete diagnoses, and even lost billing opportunities. 

One key area where AI has the potential to transform healthcare for the better is ensuring that accurate CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes are applied. Essential for billing, CPT codes define services provided to patients. Inaccuracies in these codes could result in denied claims, revenue loss, or even legal issues. Playback Health’s AI platform extracts the most important elements from recorded conversations, helping clinicians determine CPT codes for services, time and complexity. Using AI to uncover and support important elements of care, like prior authorization or precertification, comparing patient symptoms to population health data, or assisting clinicians with assessment and treatment plans are all significant boons to the healthcare industry. 

AI insights offer a more holistic, care-forward approach that improves patient outcomes while simultaneously protecting a clinician or a practice’s financial health. That’s a huge win-win. 

4. Improved Cost-Effectiveness & Scalability

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Any job feels better when it’s well-managed.

AI scribes can help standardize the documentation process, making certain all patient records are thorough, consistent, and compliant with regulatory requirements. This standardization helps reduce errors and improve the overall quality of care, leading to more efficient use of healthcare resources.

By saving on clinical time and third-party costs, an AI scribe can improve care outcomes and revenues by avoiding missed communications and reducing outsourcing risks, e.g., data breaches. A smoother-running “machine” encourages more clinicians to join a health system when it’s evident how well it works.  

5. Simplified Integration with Existing Systems

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Fixing big problems shouldn’t create more work for already-burdened staff. 

AI scribes can be integrated with electronic health record (EHR) systems, ensuring seamless documentation and reducing the time spent on manual data entry. Integration allows for a standardized documentation of care that better orients care teams to patient care, and more accurately identifies and bills for care episodes.

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