Alleviating Documentation Burden for Physicians

Physician burnout is at epic levels, and one of the biggest contributors is the burden of completing EHR documentation, which physicians work on during clinic, after hours, and in their homes. Now, an American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) study reveals the impact a voice-enabled AI assistant can make in reducing time spent on documentation and charting, empowering physicians to find greater joy in their work.

During a recently completed AAFP innovation lab, family physicians and other primary care clinicians who used a voice-enabled AI assistant experienced a 72% reduction in median documentation time per note. For physicians, this calculates to an average of 3.3 hours per week saved in documentation time. It also improved satisfaction with their workload and in their practice.

Today, 55% of physicians and clinicians say they feel burned out when going to work. Further, studies indicate that clerical burdens including clinical documentation are a major contributor to burnout. For primary care physicians, a new class of solutions AI assistants holds strong potential to increase capacity and capability while reducing physicians’ administrative and cognitive burden.