Clinicians in every healthcare field want to best serve their patients by offering top-notch care and customized treatment plans that will benefit each patient on the individual level. That often includes seeing multiple patients each day, listening to concerns and questions, and determining what is the best way forward. In addition to these tasks, providers are also responsible for ensuring that each encounter is properly documented in the form of a note—and that the patient’s electronic medical record (EHR) is synced up accordingly. 

This administrative duty can at times create extra work for physicians and other healthcare workers who would rather be taking that time to help patients. Instead of having human clinicians enter information as it happens in encounters or at the end of the day, what if there was an ambient digital medical scribe that could do it instead?

In today’s discussion, we’re covering:

• What an ambient digital medical scribe is
• The benefits of AI scribes
• Whether or not they’re worth it for healthcare workers

What is an ambient digital scribe? 

Can AI scribes help eliminate manual data entry?

One of the biggest culprits for diverting clinician time away from patients (and adding extra hours to their day) is the need for accurate notes and documentation in the medical record. If you think about how many patients a provider sees throughout their day, and include the amount of administrative transcription entry that must occur, you can see how easy it is for healthcare workers to feel overwhelmed or burned out. Typing up a note can basically happen in one of two ways:

• In real time during the encounter. Providers can take a tablet or laptop into the encounter with the patient, and fill out a note while the patient talks. This is a good way to prevent confusion and missing information, but it takes the clinician’s attention away from focusing on the patient. It can be distracting to have to do two things at the same time, although this is how a lot of healthcare workers ensure meticulous documentation.

• After the encounter is over. Another way to enter the data is to take notes during the encounter, and then enter it into the note format after the patient has left. Clinicians who decide to go this route find that it can add extra hours to their already busy day. There is also a higher chance of missing key information, or misrepresenting something that was said at the time. 

But what if these necessary but additional administrative tasks could be offloaded onto a machine? This is where ambient digital medical scribes can be incredibly useful. AI medical scribes are applications that can be downloaded directly to a smartphone or a tablet, and use natural language processing (NLP) and advanced learning algorithms to listen and transcribe the encounter between a clinician and a patient. Once consent is gained, all the clinician has to do is open the application and the ambient scribe starts to transcribe the conversation in real time, freeing up the provider to give their full attention to the patient. 

What is ambient transcription (and how does it work?)

Ambient transcription is the result of the AI scribe “listening” to the encounter and using its NPL to create a relevant summary of what is taking place. Most applications gather the information into a predetermined format, such as a SOAP note. Doing this ensures that the provider not only doesn’t have to write or type this information themselves, but that the note is opened automatically and the data is put into the correct section. 

One of the advantages of using a digital medical scribe is that it can weed out information that isn’t necessary, such as conversations not related to the issue (talk about the weather, family, etc.) It’s important to note that these transcriptions are not recorded by the AI scribe, and instead are only transcribed in real time. Once the encounter is complete, the healthcare professional can review the note for accuracy, and then sync it with the patient’s EHR in seconds. 

Most doctors find that the mistakes are minimal, but it is still essential to conduct a review of this sensitive information. Putting this task in the hands of an AI medical scribe means that providers no longer need to start notes from scratch, nor do they have to worry about missing information or having to spend extra time entering and updating patient files. 

In addition to assisting with the creation of notes, a lot of AI medical scribes also have the capability to allow physicians to make voice recordings of additional information they may want to include in the patient file outside of a note. This is transcribed and then synced with the patient’s EHR as well without the provider having to open up a computer. 

Many ambient scribes also help with automating the patient journey. They can register the patient, help with check out, calendar follow up appointments, or send reminders to schedule tests or pick up prescriptions. This automated journey ensures both patient and clinician are informed of exactly what the next step is, eliminating confusion.

Are virtual scribes worth it in a medical setting? 

Should healthcare workers lean into the use of more AI?

The NEJM Catalyst study conducted in 2023 at 21 medical locations in Northern California found that physicians were pleased at how well the AI scribe was able to listen and transcribe patient encounters accurately. Most clinicians ended up using the medical scribe daily for patient encounters and approved of:

• How accurate it was
• That it was easy to use and required little training
• How it ensured patient privacy and security

The more that AI medical scribes make their way into the medical setting, the more providers see it as a worthwhile addition. It’s important to point out that ambient scribes are not meant to be used without oversight, but the transcriptions they do produce are accurate and can easily follow a template for inputting the data. Providers will still need to review and sign off on the note to ensure that no false information or “hallucinations” are transcribed by the AI scribe. 

The technology is still being refined, and while it does have its limitations, it’s easy to see why healthcare workers find it an essential tool to complete their daily tasks. If spending less time on the computer entering patient notes and information is appealing to you, then perhaps it’s time to try out a digital medical scribe yourself. 

Benefits of ambient digital medical scribes

There are a lot of benefits to AI medical scribes, so if you’re on the fence about whether or not to add it to your practice, consider the following:

• Helps providers spend less time at the computer. One of the eye-opening results of the NEJM Catalyst study found that the doctors who used the ambient scribe spent less time at their computer doing administrative tasks like data entry. While that might seem like a small gain, giving providers some extra time during the day is a great thing. Because the AI scribe can transcribe the notes as the conversation with the patient progresses, the clinician does not have to worry about entering information at the same time, or sitting down at the computer later in the day adding more hours to their schedule.

Clinicians can use that extra time to linger longer with each patient during their encounters, they can take a break, or step away to concentrate on another task. AI scribes can reduce provider burnout, so they can better care for patients and themselves.

How much time does an ambient digital scribe save doctors?

According to the NEJM study, a digital medical scribe can help doctors spend an hour less per day on the computer entering data. 

• Improves accuracy of notes. A lot of the mistakes and missing information in patient notes are the result of human error. When a clinician is entering information in real time, it’s easy to miss something the patient said, or forget to come back and add additional data in. This can result in incomplete notes. With a digital medical scribe listening to the entire conversation, there is less of a chance that information will be missed or entered incorrectly.

The AI is not 100% accurate at all times, which is why it still requires a human to review the information and adjust as necessary. However, it is more accurate than if you were to use a human medical scribe.

• Enhances care of patients. Not having to worry about typing information in real time and instead being able to completely focus on the patient is a great way to enhance care. Clinicians are asked to do a lot, but multitasking while they’re having a conversation with their patients can distract and divert their attention. When they’re no longer worried about writing down important information and instead leave that up to the digital medical scribe, patients feel like their doctor is really tuned in and listening to their questions and concerns.

• Reduces cost. Instead of multitasking and entering information as the patient encounter progresses, some medical providers choose to hire human medical scribes. While these scribes are trained to accurately enter information in real time, their accuracy percentage is still less than an AI medical scribe. Plus, the healthcare facility has to pay for the scribe, and ensure they’re trained to know how each specific provider wants their notes organized. 

AI digital scribes vs. human medical scribes

Human medical scribes are still used in a variety of locations, including emergency rooms. The scribes can input the patient information while the provider cares for the patient. While this is still common, AI digital scribes have been seen with greater frequency, and as clinicians realize their time saving abilities and higher degrees of accuracy, they may make the switch. 

• Easy to use. Ambient scribes are very easy to use and can be downloaded onto any smartphone or tablet. Most providers take a short training course before using them just to ensure they know the full capabilities of the application, but other than that, they can be used effectively without any extensive training.

• Streamlines workflow. Once the encounter data is transcribed and approved by the clinician, it can be sent to the patient’s EHR in seconds, and synced across your current record management system. This way anyone who needs to access this file will be working from the most up to date version. It can also seamlessly be shared with any other team member should the need arise. 

Are you ready to try out an ambient digital medical scribe?

Ambient scribes could be just what your facility is looking for when it comes to saving clinician time and getting more accurate data into your notes. If you’re ready to try out an AI medical scribe, consider checking out what Playback Health has to offer—an ambient medical scribe that can listen, transcribe notes, automate patient journeys, and sync and share information seamlessly.