What Physicians Say About AI Scribe – Insights From A Recent Study
Clinician burnout is on the rise, and documentation overload is a big reason why. Recently, AI scribes have become one of the most talked about solutions to alleviate the burden. These tools listen to patient visits, transcribe conversations in real-time and generate structured notes for physicians to review—saving time and effort. What do physicians feel about AI scribes? Are they easy to use and effective? Do they improve workflow? A recent study looks at these questions, showing how AI scribes can reduce workload while also highlighting areas for improvement. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the study findings and what they mean for the future of AI scribes in healthcare.
How The Study Was Done
Researchers at Stanford University conducted a study to understand how physicians perceive AI scribes. The study included 48 physicians who used an AI scribe for three months. Some used it often, some occasionally, and a few rarely. Two physicians who stopped using it were also included. All participants had to inform patients before using the AI scribe during visits. Physicians shared their feedback, which was analyzed for common themes—positive, negative, or neutral. Of the 50 eligible physicians, 22 took part, including primary care and specialty physicians. The study focused on three key areas - what helped or hindered AI scribe use, how well they worked, and what could make them better for long-term use.
What Helped And What Didn’t In Adoption
Physicians appreciated the AI scribe as it was easy of use, quick to set up, and simple to edit. This significantly reduced their cognitive effort and made documentation much easier. But there were some challenges also—like limited support for non-English-speaking patients and restrictions on which devices could be used. In rare cases, some patients were not comfortable with the use of the AI scribe during their visit. In spite of these limitations, many physicians found the tool efficient and a good fit for their workflow.
Quality, Accuracy, And Completeness
Physicians had different opinions on the quality of the AI scribe. Most of the physicians found the quality of the AI scribing tool predominately positive. Many praised its ability to distinguish social from medically relevant discussions and capture patient history. But, some felt it struggled with organizing and summarizing notes. Accuracy was a concern, as there were often typos and misinterpretations that needed fixing. Completeness was another issue, as subtle details were sometimes missed. Despite these concerns, some physicians were impressed with its overall transcription quality and reliability.
Note Construction, Style And Use
Physicians had mixed views on how the notes were created, their style, and how easy the tool was to use. While some appreciated the AI scribe’s ability to capture patient history accurately, many found the notes too long and needed extra editing. There were also formatting issues, like big blocks of text and limited options for organizing notes. When it came to style, some physicians preferred the formal tone, but others felt it was too impersonal and didn’t include enough details about the patient. Usability feedback was divided—some found the tool easy to use, while others had trouble with editing and customization options.
Practical Effectiveness
Cognitive Load And Time Pressure
Physicians generally had positive feedback on how the tool affected their cognitive workload, with everyone mentioning that it helped reduce stress. One physician mentioned, “I’m not sure if it saved time, but it definitely eased my anxiety.” When it came to time spent on documentation, most physicians felt the tool saved time, with one physician noting that it saved about five minutes in a 30-minute patient visit. However, a small number of physicians felt that the tool actually increased their time spent editing notes, especially in the initial stages of documentation.
Workload And Work-life Balance
Physicians shared positive feedback about the impact of the AI scribe tool on workload and work-life balance. Many felt that by easing the documentation burden, especially after hours, the overall workload became more manageable. One physician mentioned that it made work feel less stressful. When it came to work-life balance, physicians appreciated how the tool helped them wrap up their workday without sacrificing time with patients or personal life, making it easier to achieve a better balance.
Physician-Patient Engagement
Physicians appreciated how the AI scribe tool improved patient engagement by allowing them to spend more time face-to-face with patients. Many felt it helped build stronger relationships by reducing time spent on documentation. One physician shared, “I feel like I can be more present with them.” However, some patients expressed discomfort after seeing their notes and asked that the tool not be used again. While most physicians found the tool helpful, patient comfort with it was sometimes an issue. Overall, the AI scribe improved physician-patient interaction but needed to take patient preferences into account.
Suggestions For Improvements
Physicians had mostly positive feedback about using the AI scribe in the future and were excited to try it out. They liked recent updates, such as more formal language and less redundancy in diagnoses. They also appreciated improvements in organizing notes by specific issues or concerns. However, physicians suggested some future improvements, like capturing patients’ gender identity and pronouns automatically and improving how the tool handles the examination process without awkward verbal cues. They also wanted more personalization, so the tool could better reflect their unique way of speaking.
Conclusion
This qualitative study showed that AI scribes have a positive impact on physicians’ workload, work-life balance, and patient engagement. While most feedback was positive, it’s important to address the challenges and make the suggested improvements to make the tool even more effective and widely accepted. By continuously improving the technology to better fit physicians' needs, we can create more benefits for both healthcare providers and their patients.
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