Healthcare has reached an inflection point: it is more critical than ever to offer technology that improves physician burnout caused by documentation and administrative burden. Fifty-five percent of physicians and clinicians say they feel burned out when going to work, and studies indicate that clerical burdens—including clinical documentation—are a major contributor to burnout.

Today, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), in partnership with Suki, the leader in voice artificial intelligence (AI) technology for healthcare, announced results from Phase 2 of its Innovation Laboratory on the adoption, use, and impact of an AI Assistant for Documentation by primary care physicians. An affordable, voice-enabled AI Assistant that continually learns, integrates with the EHR, and can be used as a mobile or desktop solution, Suki was labeled as a “breakthrough” by family physicians in the lab.

“AAFP’s series of Innovation Labs identify and demonstrate innovations essential to optimizing the family medicine experience,” said Dr. Steven Waldren, MD, MS, AAFP vice president and chief medical informatics officer. “Our initial lab provided proof that the use of an AI Assistant can greatly reduce documentation burden and family physician burnout, and Phase 2 of the lab series determined whether an AI Assistant is essential to and readily adoptable by family physicians.”

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According to Phase 2 of the study, participants in family medicine and other primary care specialties saw a 72% reduction in their median documentation time per note. Lab participants reported a calculated time savings of 3.3 hours per week per clinician and improved satisfaction with their workload and in their practice. Full results and analysis are available in a white paper on the pilot.

“We’re pleased to report that an AI Assistant for Documentation significantly reduced documentation time and burden while providing more flexibility and freedom,” said Waldren. “Clinicians reported their notes were more meaningful and professional. Our conclusion is that an AI Assistant for Documentation is an essential innovation for all family physicians who have documentation burden and experience burnout. It can help optimize their family medicine experience.”

Phase 2 of the lab studied the adoption and impact of an AI Assistant used for visit note completion for 30 days by over 132 family physicians and primary care clinicians. A majority (60%) of lab participants who tried the AI Assistant for Documentation adopted the solution, which was assessed based on the number of participants agreeing to buy the solution and the impact realized during the lab trial. The impact was assessed through a quantitative assessment of documentation time.

The Lab will now enter Phase 3, where the AAFP will focus on building awareness among family physicians of this essential innovation category and the best practices that have been discovered through both phases of the study.

By: DocMemory
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