Despite spending close to a decade (at a minimum) in medical training, physicians increasingly face the challenge of acting as coders at the point of care, navigating complex systems like ICD-10-CM and SNOMED CT®. They must also document medical encounters in the patient chart with the utmost specificity or risk suboptimal reimbursement. It’s no wonder many clinicians suffer from burnout, strained patient interactions, billing issues, and more.
Ambient clinical intelligence (ACI), also known as ambient clinical documentation, is an emerging tool that could significantly help to lessen this clinical documentation burden. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to capture and analyze healthcare encounters in real time, ACI empowers physicians to simplify administrative tasks, optimize reimbursement, and reclaim their time. Without constantly looking at screens or clacking away on keyboards, clinicians can also develop closer relationships with their patients, personalizing care and making smarter healthcare decisions overall.
However, while ACI holds tremendous power to transform the provider space, there is a catch. Ambient AI vendors must fortify these applications with rich clinical terminology to advance them beyond mere dictation. Doing so ensures that these tools can accurately convert free text into structured, coded, and highly specific clinical data. Otherwise, you risk ending up with disorganized information that is not actionable.
Our latest insight brief breaks it all down, including the benefits and challenges of ambient AI in healthcare, and the critical role of rich clinical terminology in ambient solutions.
INSIGHT BRIEF
Harnessing the potential of ambient AI: Optimizing workflows, reducing burnout, and improving patient interaction
For a preview of the guide’s insights, keep reading.
Benefits of ambient AI in healthcare
ACI, albeit imperfect, is progressing rapidly in the healthcare space – and for good reason. By seamlessly integrating into clinical workflows, ambient AI technology enhances efficiency and patient care, boosting both financial and health outcomes. Some of the technology’s core benefits include:
Optimized clinician workflows: ACI streamlines administrative tasks like documentation and data entry, allowing healthcare providers to focus more on patient care. This increased efficiency can lead to reduced wait times for patients and better overall patient satisfaction. Furthermore, automating the creation of patient records and code mapping can accelerate the claims and reimbursement process. Ambient AI technology can also improve productivity by identifying bottlenecks and providing real-time updates on the effectiveness of workflows.
Restored doctor-patient relationships: By unburdening physicians from arduous data entry activities, ACI enables them to focus on patients’ needs and remain fully engaged in conversations and nonverbal communication. This ultimately fosters more genuine doctor-patient interactions and a more human-centered experience for patients overall, potentially leading to better health and even financial outcomes.
