I recently listened to a “Turn on The Lights” podcast where an expert on provider burnout favored “Moral Injury” as a more accurate way of describing a healthcare delivery system that is very inefficient and has unrealistic provider productivity expectations. As I reflect on my long career in private practice, I didn’t have to sacrifice the quality of care I provided, since my educational debt was small and most of my years of practice preceded electronic medical records (which sadly have cut my efficiency by about 60%). I have seen my cardiologist improve his efficiency using a scribe, but my billing could not justify that added expense.

At my recent annual follow-up with my Sutter cardiologist, he was no longer using a scribe but instead was using his smartphone with the Abridge app to record our visit (with my permission). This allowed him to focus entirely on my visit with good eye contact and great catch-up time about our medical practices. He has only been using Abridge for several months but already has found the after-visit summary to be concise and accurate. The details of the encounter are populated in Epic for his review and editing (if needed) later.

I subsequently attended a virtual webinar from Sutter Health on Ambient AI, which is a tool that allows clinicians to focus on their interaction with the patient by audio recording and transcribing the visit, then leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create a draft of key portions of the clinical note. The Abridge system works in 28 languages. Sutter began piloting Abridge about 18 months ago and has found improved undivided attention time with patients, and less provider work at home, less rushed provider pace, less provider mental demand and less burnout. Abridge has partnered with EPIC to improve charting for various specialists including aspects of their physical exams. Sutter is now rolling this out for all their providers, and later will be adding nursing, rehab personnel, and ancillary services.

I subsequently told a Kaiser Permanente PALTmed colleague that Sutter was implementing Ambient AI using the Abridge app in partnership with EPIC. She said that she had begun to use Abridge in her PALTC practice about a year ago and found it to be a welcome, practice-changing innovation.

I suspect that Ambient AI is not on the radar of most SNFs, but technology like this is rapidly developing, and the initial expenses should rapidly improve. As a provider with a very inefficient documentation system, I look forward to the day that most facilities have this tool not only for physicians and NP/PAs, but for their entire interdisciplinary team. Beyond their team being more productive, their residents and families will undoubtedly welcome more undivided time with their care providers.