AI Advancements Display Enormous Potential in Patient Intake

Specialty healthcare providers are passionate about delivering excellent patient care. However, achieving success in today's healthcare environment requires providers to balance their clinical acumen with business savvy and administrative rigor. Challenges such as complex documentation requirements, inefficient charting processes, and repetitive administrative tasks can distract from face-to-face interaction with patients.??

Paired with a global staffing shortage and slow clinical workflows congested by information overload, staff can end up spending more time in front of a computer screen than with their patients. A study by JAMIA reported that for every eight hours that office-based physicians have scheduled with patients, they spend at least five more hours in their EHR for documentation, chart review, order entry, and other related tasks. Another article in the National Library of Medicine found that physicians frequently pinpoint the current state of EHRs as the single most important stressor in patient care, and almost 75% with burnout symptoms identify the EHR as a source.?

While this may be startling, there is good news: AI-driven advancements in healthcare technology — such as provider-managed ambient listening — can help restore compassion to the forefront of care. With this technology, doctors can have more empathetic patient encounters without all the distractions. For example, automated documentation can lead to less time behind a keyboard and reduced fatigue for providers burdened by software demands. When this technology is applied in the context of patient intake, it cuts down on clicks in the chart and allows greater emphasis on establishing real human connections.?

Nextech will preview its AI developments and other innovations at the AAO 2024 conference from Oct. 18-21. Stop by Booth 2308 to learn more about Nextech or visit www.nextech.com.?

What Place Does AI Have in Healthcare??

Artificial intelligence is technology with access to databases of information, which it can then condense and learn from to be trained to resolve issues, make recommendations, and spot patterns.?

While providers may be uncertain about patient reception to incorporating AI into their practice, new research from Yale Cancer Center shows over half of patients believed AI would make healthcare better.?

This technology has capabilities to benefit both providers and patients. Nextech Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Handza outlines some of these uses, including clinical decision support, increased patient engagement, and better health outcomes.??

For example, physicians can make faster, more informed decisions with statistically predicted outcomes, recommended plans, and early warning detection of health issues they have missed otherwise. Additionally, AI chatbots are available 24/7 to answer patient questions with accuracy and clarity, and automated scheduling tools make it easier than ever for patients to book their own appointments rather than suffering through long hold times on the phone.?

These functions translate to less strain on administrative staff, more face-to-face patient interaction instead of face-to-screen, and effective, personalized care that patients deserve.?

Peer Perspectives: AI and Patient Intake?

During new patient intake, it can be difficult to gather their medical history before documenting new information. Many times, it’s not possible to complete full documentation during patient encounters, making it a struggle for providers to remember all that was discussed and connect the dots that were missing when they can find the time.??

Dr. Neel Vaidya from Chicago Cornea Consultants has been piloting Nextech’s AI Scribe at his practice. The AI-powered, provider-managed ambient listening technology improves documentation and reduces manual data entry, helping providers see more patients per day.??

Vaidya believes AI Scribe shows promise in saving time, especially during new patient intake and for complex cases. During initial testing, he sees tremendous benefit in top-of-chart sections, such as History of Present Illness (HPI) and Reason For Visit (RFV), and more.?

• Administrative Time Savings: “It’s a huge time-saver for my technicians to have discrete elements like the patient’s vision, intraocular pressure, and refraction, all go into the chart correctly so they can save clicks."?

• Improved Clinical Efficiency: "I think there's a big opportunity for this to be a very valuable tool in my cornea and ulcer cases. Each one is different, so if I'm spending additional time documenting, it's on those patients where I don't have a canned phrase that is relevant to this case. I see this saving time for me on the bottom of the chart side in those situations.”?

• Better Engagement, Better Decisions: "If AI Scribe can pick up my conversation when I'm seeing a patient for an ulcer which is getting better, and generate a plan for me to taper their antibiotic drops and see them in two weeks based on that conversation, I will save a ton of time using this system.”?

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Nextech’s AI innovations can help practices have more efficient processes, so providers and staff alike have more time to deliver even greater care to their patients. Learn more about how Nextech’s AI-driven enhancements are restoring compassion to the forefront of care.?