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An Ascension executive says the technology has no value if it doesn’t interoperate
Editor’s Note: Missy Scalise, MD, is an internist, associate program director of the IM Residency Program, and chair of Ascension St. Louis’ Clinician Well-Being Committee. Thomas is in Nashville.
The healthcare industry faces a looming crisis on two related fronts: Clinician burnout is at an all-time high, forcing many to leave medicine or seek early retirement, and a shortage of clinicians choosing to practice medicine (particularly in primary care specialties) is causing patients Access to care is uneven, especially in low-income areas across the country.
Generative artificial intelligence can significantly improve clinicians’ quality of life and help make primary care more attractive. Its ability to record medical visits quickly and accurately is critical, but integrating the technology into current clinical platforms has been difficult.
Since electronic medical records (EMRs) became a standard under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, clinicians have spent an increasing amount of time on record-keeping and other administrative tasks, which in turn has led to clinical Physician well-being declines. Integrating artificial intelligence into electronic medical records will free clinicians from these tasks, allowing us to focus our knowledge and energy on what we love most about medicine: connecting with patients, thinking about their problems, and helping to solve them.
Before adopting AI tools for electronic medical records, I spent at least two hours a day documenting patient visits at each clinic, usually in my free time (a lot of “clicks” every day). On weekends, I wake up at 5am to finish my paperwork before the kids get up.
Now, with the help of artificial intelligence, I can sleep while continuing to spend time with my family.
Missy Scalise, MD, is an internist, associate program director of the IM Residency Program, and chair of the Ascension-St. Louis Clinician Well-Being Committee. Thomas is in Nashville. Photo by Ascension-St. Thomas.
After getting the patient’s permission, I can activate the AI clinical assistant and talk to the patient naturally. The tool listens in the background and will extract the most relevant parts of the conversation and generate annotations, which are then pushed into the EMR. I can maintain eye contact with patients the entire time I’m talking to them instead of staring at the computer. After our conversation, I review the AI-generated notes and edit some words (for example, turning simple language into medical terminology). My notes are automatically uploaded to the electronic medical record with one click and done.
I estimate that this technology has reduced my paperwork by 80 to 90 percent. This gives me more time to focus on my patients and spend time with my family. I’m not exaggerating when I say it changed my life.
If these AI tools are adopted on a large scale, I believe the efficiency and well-being of clinicians will improve across the board. As well-being increases, clinicians are less likely to make mistakes and more likely to engage, leading to improved health care outcomes.
However, not all EHRs integrate smoothly with AI-powered tools. Support for third-party application integration ranges from not working at all, to only enabling program access, to allowing instant two-way sharing of information between the tool and the EMR.
EMRs are complex software that must prioritize the privacy and security of the patient data they contain, so third-party integrations are complex and often time-consuming. But these legacy electronic medical records need to adapt to the times. The integration of artificial intelligence tools must be a priority going forward. At the same time, AI vendors must find ways to work with EHR providers to build the level of integration they require.
Regardless of the time and resources required, the commitment to integrating these tools is a non-negotiable step toward better health care. Solutions that can be fully integrated with the EMR have the potential to enhance patient care through more accurate and comprehensive data and greater efficiency in clinical workflows. This level of integration is not just a technological advancement but a critical part of the evolution of healthcare.
Artificial intelligence showed me a better way to work, and there was no turning back. I now recommend residents ask about AI tools when negotiating positions. Anecdotally, I’ve heard other doctors urging their employers to adopt more open electronic medical records so that they, too, can leverage AI-driven tools in their daily work. For example, one gastroenterology practice transitioned from a gastroenterology-specific EMR to a specialty-agnostic EMR because the latter allowed integration with third-party tools.
As the U.S. healthcare system faces shortages and clinician burnout, embracing technology can alleviate many of the ills. I know firsthand how using artificial intelligence tools can improve my workflow and make me a better doctor. As more physicians learn about these tools, they will certainly push for their integration, and both EMR companies and vendors must move quickly to listen.
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