Doctors in Chicago have started using AI tools to help with note-taking during patient visits. Apps like Abridge and Microsoft’s DAX Copilot record conversations, turn them into text, and pick out important information. This information is then added to electronic medical records (EMRs). Instead of writing notes by hand or typing them after appointments, doctors can pay more attention to their patients.
For example, Dr. Robert Gray, an orthopedic surgeon, uses the Abridge app. It listens to what is said during appointments, writes it down, and summarizes the key points for the medical record. This lets him focus more on talking with patients instead of doing paperwork. Hospitals like Northwestern Medicine, Rush University Health System, UChicago Medicine, and Advocate Health Care have many doctors who use similar AI tools. Around 1,300 doctors at Advocate Health Care use the DAX Copilot system to help with documentation.
One big problem for doctors is the large amount of paperwork they have to do after work hours. This extra work at home is called “pajama time.” Before using AI scribes, doctors spent about 20 to 25 hours a week on this. Dr. Douglas Dorman from Advocate Health Care said AI has cut his paperwork time to only about 30 minutes each week.
Other health systems saw similar drops. Northwestern Medicine reported a 17% decrease in after-hours paperwork. Advocate Health Care saw almost a 15% drop. These changes let doctors finish work earlier and feel less stressed. This might help prevent doctors from feeling burnt out.
Doctors say AI scribes help both their patient care and their happiness at work. At The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG), AI scribes started in late 2023. Over 7,260 doctors used these tools in more than 2.5 million patient visits in a year. Together, they saved nearly 15,800 hours of paperwork time. That equals almost 1,800 full workdays of eight hours.
According to TPMG, 84% of doctors felt AI scribes helped them talk better with patients. Also, 82% said their job satisfaction improved. Patients noticed changes too: 47% saw their doctors spent less time looking at computer screens. About 39% felt their doctors talked to them more during visits. More than half (56%) said the quality of their visits got better with AI scribes.
Doctors like Dr. Melissa Holmes at Rush University said AI scribes let them be more present during appointments. When doctors don’t have to split their attention between notes and patients, care improves. Patient Robert Johnston said he liked it when doctors looked at him instead of the screen.
Using AI in healthcare means being careful with security and patient privacy. Tools like Abridge and DAX Copilot record talks between doctors and patients. This can raise concerns about private information. Hospitals in Chicago make sure these tools follow privacy laws like HIPAA before using them.
Dr. Betsy Winga from a Chicago hospital said making sure patient data is secure was very important when choosing AI companies. Patients are always asked for permission before recording. Strong privacy rules help build trust among doctors and patients. This makes people feel safe using these tools.
Besides cutting down paperwork, AI can help with phone calls and front desk work. Some medical offices have trouble answering calls and making appointments. AI can handle routine calls, make appointments, refill prescriptions, and send reminders.
Simbo AI uses smart language and machine learning to answer calls quickly. This reduces the work for front desk staff so they can focus on harder tasks or help patients in person.
When AI phone systems work with tools like Abridge or DAX Copilot, patient care becomes smoother—from setting up appointments to well-recorded doctor visits. Automating boring tasks helps staff work better, make fewer mistakes, and keep patients happy.
AI can also send real-time updates and reminders to patients and staff. This lowers missed appointments and makes scheduling easier. These kinds of tools are very useful for busy clinics and hospitals in Chicago and elsewhere.
Many doctors in Chicago have started trusting AI technology. About 50 doctors at Endeavor Health, 300 at Northwestern Medicine, 100 at Rush University, 550 at UChicago Medicine, and over 1,300 at Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care use AI note-taking tools. This shows many are seeing AI as support, not a replacement, for doctors.
Studies from TPMG show that AI scribes help doctors in many areas of healthcare. They are useful in primary care, mental health, emergency rooms, and pediatrics. Slightly more female doctors than male doctors use AI scribes. This means many types of doctors find these tools helpful.
Integrating AI is not perfect. There are issues like matching AI notes with current electronic health records and the time it takes doctors to fix AI notes. Still, doctors who use scribes more often see bigger time savings and feel better about their jobs.
Because of these reasons, AI-driven tools have become an important part of healthcare in Chicago.
Chicago’s experience with AI in healthcare offers useful lessons for other places. By using tools that cut paperwork and improve workflows, medical centers can help doctors balance work and life, increase patient happiness, and make their practices run better.
As AI improves and gets easier to use, it could help even more. This might include wider use in different specialties, better patient data handling, and more automated tasks. Healthcare leaders should keep watching changes to make sure their organizations stay up to date with new technology that helps both patients and doctors.
Chicago’s top doctors are using AI-driven ambient listening technologies, such as the Abridge app and Microsoft’s DAX Copilot, to record, transcribe, and summarize patient interactions during appointments.
The Abridge app records conversations with patients, transcribes them, and uses AI to filter relevant information, creating notes that are added to the patient’s electronic medical record.
Doctors have reported reduced documentation time, improved patient interactions, and decreased feelings of burnout, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
About 50 doctors at Endeavor Health, 300 at Northwestern Medicine, 100 at Rush, 550 at UChicago Medicine, and 1,300 at Advocate and Aurora Health Care are using these technologies.
‘Pajama time’ refers to the time doctors spend on administrative tasks after work hours. The AI note-taking technology has reduced this time significantly for many clinicians.
Patients report feeling that doctors are more present and attentive during visits since they can focus on the conversation rather than on documentation.
By reducing the time spent on documentation, the technology aims to combat physician burnout, allowing doctors to leave work earlier and reducing stress.
Some patients express initial privacy concerns about recording their conversations but generally appreciate the potential benefits of improved doctor-patient interactions.
Local health systems ensure that the companies providing these technologies meet strict security and privacy requirements to protect patient information.
No, the use of these AI technologies is optional for doctors and patients, with permission obtained from patients before recording.
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