Photo Credit: Natali_Mis
Physician feedback indicates that AI scribes ease workload and burnout, but respondents cited concerns with accuracy and the need for more inclusive features.
New research suggests the potential for ambient artificial intelligence (AI) scribe technology to reduce physician workload, with user-centered recommendations providing practical guidance on scaling this technology and addressing barriers to adoption.
The findings were based on a qualitive study published in JAMA Network Open. Because limited qualitive studies assessing AI scribe tools exist, the researchers aimed to evaluate physicians’ perspectives on ambient AI scribes.
Patricia Garcia, MD, and colleagues used semi-structured interviews to ascertain physicians’ viewpoints. Physicians participating in an AI scribe pilot that included community and faculty practices were eligible for inclusion. The analysis focused on three major aspects of implementation: facilitators and barriers to adoption, practical effectiveness, and recommendations for improvement to enhance sustainability.
A total of 22 physician interviews were conducted from November 2023 to January 2024. Facilitators to adoption included ease of use, ease of editing, and generally positive physician viewpoints on tool quality. Barriers to adoption included accessibility challenges, including limits in functionality with non–English-speaking patients and lack of access for physicians without a compatible mobile device.
Physician Perspectives
Overall, physicians expressed positive comments regarding the impact of the ambient AI scribe tool on cognitive demand (100%), temporal demand (62%), work-life integration (91%), and workload (89%). Physicians also shared positive comments on the impact of technology on patient engagement (68%).
“Physician perspectives on accuracy and style were largely negative, particularly regarding the length of notes and the editing requirements associated with the ambient AI scribe tool,” the researchers wrote. “Despite these concerns, some physicians noted that the longer content might provide a more comprehensive capture of the encounter that otherwise might not have been documented.”
The physicians also offered suggestions for tool improvement. For example, they believe that the ambient AI scribe technology should capture patients’ correct gender identity and preferred pronouns without the physician needing to prime the tool. In addition, they mentioned wanting the tool to have improved personalization features.
“Physicians’ suggestions for improvement are key to driving future enhancements to promote adoption,” Dr. Garcia and colleagues wrote. “Future qualitative research is needed to explore clinician perspectives after a more extended period of use and investigate patient perspectives on ambient AI scribe tools.”
