Healthcare administration in the United States has changed a lot with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in paperwork and workflow automation. AI medical scribes help by reducing the amount of paperwork for doctors. They do this by automatically writing clinical notes. But, to work well, these AI scribes need to be adjusted to fit different doctors’ ways of taking notes and their routines.
This article talks about why it is important to change AI scribes to fit the many ways doctors write notes and work. It also explains how this customization helps medical managers, owners, and IT staff in U.S. healthcare.
Doctors in the U.S. have many different ways of writing notes. Studies, including those with DeepScribe co-founders Matthew Ko and Akilesh Bapu, show that doctors like different styles. Some write full sentences. Others prefer bullet points or short forms. These choices depend on habits, their medical field, and how many patients they see each day.
Doctors’ ideas about technology and their willingness to change their workflows often affect how they use AI scribes more than the technical features do. For example, some doctors like to speak out loud their physical exam findings during visits. This helps the AI write notes. Others do not like this and that can cause problems with the AI accuracy.
Because doctors work in different ways, AI medical scribes need to be flexible and customizable. DeepScribe lets doctors pick their preferred note styles, like writing in paragraphs or using bullet points. This helps notes fit the doctor’s or specialty’s style and cuts down on editing after patient visits.
A method called the “Scribe Sommelier,” supported by experts like Josh Cowdy, means carefully matching AI tools to what doctors need. The Scribe Sommelier listens, watches how doctors work, and picks the AI solution that fits best. This method balances cost, quality, and workflow, which helps doctors use the AI more often and feel happy with it. Making plans together based on real clinic work boosts acceptance and keeps doctors in control, instead of forcing one way on everyone.
One example of AI scribe success is The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG). They used AI scribes with 7,260 doctors. In 63 weeks and over 2.5 million patient visits, TPMG saved about 15,791 hours of paperwork. This is like almost 1,800 full workdays. Doctors said they spent less time on paperwork at home after work, leaving more time for patients during office hours.
Doctors were happier; 84% said communication with patients got better, and 82% were more satisfied with their jobs. Patients noticed changes too. About 47% saw doctors spending less time on computers during visits, and 39% felt doctors talked to them more. Over half of the patients thought visit quality improved.
These results show that when AI scribes fit the doctor’s style and workflow, both doctors and patients have a better experience.
Sunoh.ai is an AI scribe platform used by over 90,000 healthcare workers in the United States. It is designed for people who manage medical offices and IT systems and want a tool that works with many types of workflows.
Sunoh listens during patient visits and writes notes in real-time. This cuts down on typing. Doctors can finish notes a few minutes after each visit and save up to two hours daily. Sunoh understands different accents and medical terms well. It works with many electronic health record (EHR) systems so doctors don’t have to switch software.
Doctors say they often finish notes before leaving the exam room. This reduces tiredness and stress after work. Sunoh supports many note styles and works on computers, iPhones, and Android devices. This shows how AI scribes can meet many different user needs.
AI scribes do more than just write notes. They help make medical office work faster and smoother. Many steps happen in a clinic, like checking in patients, writing notes, placing orders, billing, and follow-ups. Automation helps remove slow spots.
When AI scribes work with practice software and EHR systems, they can enter orders, mark tasks, and write patient instructions automatically. This lowers repetitive work and mistakes. Staff have more time for important tasks. Although doctors might spend a little more time handling electronic messages, overall they save a lot of time on notes and paperwork.
AI can be changed to fit different medical fields. For example, in primary care and mental health, where notes are long, special AI templates make writing simpler. Mental health doctors need detailed social history notes, while surgeons focus on operation notes and care before and after surgery. When AI matches these needs, doctors use it more and are happier with it.
AI also lets doctors talk out loud to write notes and instructions during visits. This makes documentation easier without typing. But for this to work, doctors must be okay with speaking notes. The AI also needs to allow changes based on each doctor’s style.
Even with these benefits, using AI scribes widely is still hard. Doctors worry if AI notes are accurate and if they need to spend more time fixing them. This happens especially if the AI does not match their note format or doesn’t work well with their EHR system.
Protecting patient data is very important. AI tools used in U.S. clinics must follow HIPAA rules, using encryption and strong protections to keep patient information safe. Platforms like Sunoh.ai meet these requirements with contracts and security methods.
Also, different clinics and regions work in many ways, making it tough to fit one AI tool everywhere. IT managers and clinic leaders should pick AI that can be changed to match local needs and offer good support.
Prioritize Clinician Engagement: Listen to how doctors like to write notes and do visits. Watching workflows and getting feedback helps tailor AI scribes to fit their needs. This increases satisfaction and regular use.
Consider Flexibility and Customization: Choose AI products that let doctors change note formats, support talking notes, and work on many devices. It is important to fit specialty needs.
Integrate AI with EHR and Workflow Systems: Even though doctor attitudes matter more than system connections, good integration makes work smoother and less disruptive. Automation of order entry and patient instructions helps efficiency.
Address Training and Support Needs: Staff and doctors need clear guides to edit AI notes and add the tools to daily work. Good support cuts resistance and helps adoption.
Monitor Security and Compliance: Make sure AI meets HIPAA rules and protects patient data. Security checks should be part of choosing a vendor.
Track Usage and Outcomes: Use tools to watch how often AI scribes are used and how they affect paperwork time and doctor stress. This shows value and spots places for improvement.
Healthcare in the U.S. can benefit a lot when AI scribes fit doctors’ different note-taking ways and workflows. Careful use of flexible and secure AI tools helps doctors feel better about their jobs, reduces burnout, and improves patient care. If medical managers, owners, and IT staff focus on the needs of their teams, they can get better results from AI and improve clinic efficiency sustainably.
Clinician psychographics are the ultimate predictor of AI scribe adoption, rather than technical competency, foundational AI models, or EHR integration. Personal preferences about note format, waiting time for note generation, workflow changes, and comfort level with verbalizing exams affect successful use.
Clinicians vary in note style preference such as bullet points versus full sentences, and acceptable wait times for note generation ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. AI scribes like DeepScribe offer extensive customization to meet these diverse preferences, ensuring better user satisfaction and adoption.
A Scribe Sommelier assesses clinician needs through interviews and observation, similar to a wine sommelier understanding customer preferences. They help match clinicians with the right scribe solutions, balancing factors such as price, quality, reliability, and clinician workflow to optimize adoption.
Flexibility allows clinicians to maintain control over their documentation and workflows. Listening to clinicians’ needs, observing real practice, and reflecting those insights in AI scribe functionality and implementation plans improve satisfaction and promote consistent use.
AI scribes reduce documentation burden, enabling physicians to focus more on patient interaction. Properly implemented, they enhance note clarity, ensure accurate patient instructions, and support better communication, ultimately benefiting both physicians and patients.
Issues include managing recordings of conversations, adding transcripts to patient records securely, and complying with regulatory requirements. These challenges require market and regulatory solutions to ensure privacy and data security while leveraging AI scribing benefits.
Surprisingly, EHR integration is not a major factor for end users compared to clinician psychographics. While integration matters, clinicians prioritize ease of use, customization, and workflow impact over technical backend connections.
Consider how particular clinicians prefer their notes, their workflow habits (e.g., verbalizing exams), their comfort with technology, and willingness to adapt their processes. Understanding these psychographics is crucial for a successful AI scribe match and usage.
Clinicians must be comfortable verbalizing physical exams and instructions during visits for ambient AI scribes to capture data accurately. Those unable to integrate this verbal workflow may face challenges fully utilizing AI scribe benefits.
Combining qualitative observation of clinicians’ practice with quantitative EHR utilization metrics enables co-creation of implementation plans tailored to clinician needs, improving adoption by aligning AI scribe features with real-world workflows and preferences.
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