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The growing demand for advanced technology solutions in clinical practice
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, physicians face increasing pressures that extend well beyond patient care. The need for efficient, accurate, and user-friendly technology solutions is long overdue. As the demands on healthcare grow, so does the need for better tools that can streamline operations, prevent burnout, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
The reality of modern clinical practice
In 1972, the first electronic medical record (EMR) was introduced. Since then, physicians have become increasingly busy with administrative tasks. Today, physicians spend a staggering 35 to 37 percent of their time on documentation tasks. For primary care physicians and specialists, this means 16 minutes of every patient visit are spent on EMR tasks. This has led to widespread dissatisfaction, as technology is often viewed as a burden rather than a benefit.1
Frustrations with current systems are not just anecdotal. Studies have shown that the overwhelming administrative burden placed on physicians is a major factor in burnout—a troubling problem in healthcare. Burnout impacts the well-being of healthcare professionals, which in turn has a direct impact on the quality of patient care.2.3
The rise of AI-powered medical scribes
One of the most promising advances in addressing these challenges is the development of AI-powered medical scribes. These advanced tools use technologies such as speech recognition, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning to automate the documentation of clinical encounters in real time. By accurately transcribing doctor-patient interactions into structured medical records, they can handle complex medical terminology and medication details with ease.
When I was invited to participate in an AI Scribe-a-thon hosted by XPC, a primary care innovation community founded by Dr. Paulius Mui, Dr. Kenneth Qui, and Dr. Dave Nichols, I jumped at the chance. The AI Scribe-a-thon was a unique, multi-day virtual event that invited clinicians from across the United States to explore the cutting-edge capabilities of AI-powered medical writing platforms. Over three exciting days, I tested five advanced AI writing platforms: HealthNote, ChartNote, AVO, Empathia.ai, and ScribeMD. What I discovered was nothing short of remarkable. These were no ordinary transcription services; they were intelligent systems designed not only to transcribe, but also to organize and write notes, setting new standards in medical documentation.
As the event began, there was a palpable energy in the 70+ group, which consisted of an interdisciplinary mix of health professionals. 62.2% of attendees were physicians, followed by nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), pharmacists, medical students, and others.
How AI writers meet growing demand
The appeal for clinicians is clear: By reducing the time spent on documentation, AI scribes allow clinicians to focus more on patient interactions. They promise to dramatically reduce the amount of time clinicians spend on documentation, allowing them to focus on patient care again—a critical shift in an industry where time is one of the most valuable resources. This shift has the potential to improve healthcare efficiency and reduce administrative burdens.4
During the event, a mock patient told me his long medical history. As I listened, I felt a sense of relief: “I know this is all being recorded.” I found myself focusing on the human connection again and staying present. What a feeling!
Ethical considerations and challenges associated with AI-assisted medical scribes
Despite their impressive capabilities, the reliability of AI-based medical scribes in capturing nuanced and complex medical information at scale remains uncertain. There have been a few cases where AI provided incorrect information about a patient case, which has been described as a hallucination and a well-documented problem. Another argument is that doctors may become too dependent on AI scribes, leading to a potential loss of important documentation skills.
Patient data security is a primary concern for AI writers. While current measures such as encryption and secure data storage aim to protect patient information, experts argue that these may not be enough to ward off all potential threats.
An important ethical debate surrounds whether patients should be informed about the use of AI scribes in their treatment. Current standards and practices regarding the use of AI in healthcare emphasize the importance of transparency and obtaining patient consent. To maintain trust and ethical integrity, it is important to ensure that patients are fully informed about and consent to the inclusion of AI in their treatment.
Determining accountability when an AI writer makes a mistake is also complex. Should the clinician, the AI developer, or both be held accountable? Legal precedents and potential policy frameworks need to address these questions comprehensively. The ethical implications of errors made by AI writers require clear guidelines to protect patients and clinicians and ensure fair accountability.
Start-ups and clinicians show the way
Earlier this summer, the XPC community kicked off an EMR scavenger hunt that served as a springboard for innovative thinking and problem solving in clinical settings. This month’s AI Scribe-a-thon, which doubled in attendance, became increasingly interdisciplinary, attracting experts from different fields to work together to refine these AI tools. XPC co-founder Dr. Paulius Mui said, “These findings have provided the necessary insight to launch the XPC Clinic, a dedicated space designed to facilitate this type of collaboration in a continuous cycle. We want to keep the momentum going as there is increasing demand for both startups building technology for clinicians and clinicians looking to build technology that impacts patient care.” Dr. Paulius Mui continued, “XPC Clinic aims to combine medicine, technology and education to advance primary care in the U.S.”
Embracing the future of healthcare technology
As I reflect on my experience with these AI writers, and the growing commitment of clinicians to working for a better healthcare system, I am filled with optimism for the future of clinical practice. These newer technologies promise to free up more time for what matters most—direct patient care. However, it remains uncertain whether their lofty promise of reclaiming the heart of medicine—the sacred relationship between doctor and patient—can truly be achieved, or whether this will become another broken promise, like the flawed implementation of the EMR in medicine. One thing is for sure: There is a growing group of clinicians demanding change, and that is a future to look forward to.
Michael Rubio, PA-Cis a physician assistant (PA) in dermatology at Infinity Dermatology in Brooklyn, NY. He is vice chair of the Communications Committee of the Society of Dermatology PAs (SDPA) and a contributor to the development of the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Dermatology by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). He is also the co-founder of Well Revolution (www.wellrevolution.com), a same-day direct primary care platform that is helping to address the primary care shortage crisis in the United States.
References
- Atherton J. Development of the electronic health record. Virtual Mentor. 2011;13(3):186-189. Published 2011 March 1. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2011.13.3.mhst1-1103
- Tawfik DS, Scheid A, Profit J, et al. Evidence on the association between health care provider burnout and quality of care: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(8):555-567. doi:10.7326/M19-1152
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; National Academy of Medicine; Committee on Systems Approaches to Improving Patient Care by Supporting Clinician Well-Being. Addressing clinician burnout: A systemic approach to professional well-being. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2019 Oct 23. 4, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK552615/
- Tierney AA, Gayre G, Hoberman B, et al. Ambient artificial intelligence scribes to simplify clinical documentation. NEJM Catal Innov Care Delivery. 2024;5(3). doi:10.1056/CAT.23.0404
