With physicians under more pressure than ever, artificial intelligence (AI) based models offer the promise to ease the bureaucratic burdens of being an active physician.
Keith Michael Nord, M.D., an orthopedic hand surgeon at Sports, Orthopedics & Spine Jackson, Tennessee, was seeing 45 patients a day and spending well over an hour each evening on clinic notes.
And then came artificial technology (AI) in the form of an ambient listening and medical scribe tool.
“I needed to save time,” said Dr. Nord to OTW. “As the sole orthopedic hand surgeon in my area, I used to see about 45 patients a day and spend well over an hour each evening on clinic notes. Like many of my orthopedic colleagues, I tend to be skeptical of flashy new advancements in technology. I was unsure of what to expect late last year when I decided to give NextGen Healthcare’s Ambient Assist a test drive as it was the second AI-driven ambient listening solution I tried. I experimented with one previously that hadn’t lived up to the hype.”
Now, Dr. Nord sees more than 50-60 patients a day while spending 5 to 10 minutes reviewing notes before he leaves the office. And he says he is always home by 5pm to sit down for a family dinner and help with his children’s bedtime routines.
“I’ve already used NextGen Ambient Assist in more than 500 appointments since adopting it in fall 2023,” stated Dr. Nord to OTW. “My patients like the shorter wait times for appointments—and my family likes the extra time with me. Meanwhile, I feel energized and more effective at both work and home.”
“I’ve discovered my own set of ‘best practices’ that help me tailor the solution to my preferred workflow,” said Dr. Nord. “For example, prior to seeing a patient, I like to review their X-rays and dictate my treatment plan notes. This allows me to start each appointment with more context. I am careful not to use medical jargon when I’m with patients, as I feel it may create confusion or unneeded worry. Instead, I’ll dictate the physical exam as I walk out of the room and then quickly review the note on my phone or iPad.”
“It’s an incredible time saver. With one tap, the tool ‘listens’ to the whole patient encounter and then leverages AI to generate an accurate medical note in about 30 seconds. Physicians can review and edit it immediately or at the end of the day—I also like that there is no copying and pasting needed, because it’s fully integrated into their EHR [electronic health record].”
“At about 1/10th the cost of a scribe, which by the way there weren’t any available in my area, Ambient Assist interprets patient-provider conversations in real time to summarize appointments and deliver SOAP [Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan] notes directly into the EHR.”
