AI scribe adoption linked to modest reductions in EHR, documentation time: study

Adoption of AI scribes is linked to modest declines in clinicians’ electronic health record (EHR) use and documentation time, with a decrease of 13 minutes per day in EHR use and 16 minutes in documentation time.
Researchers found a 1.7% increase in weekly visit volume, resulting in an additional revenue of $167 per month per clinician due to AI scribe usage.
There are several companies offering AI scribe services, including tech giants like Microsoft, Oracle, Epic, Amazon, and Abridge, with the aim of reducing clinicians’ administrative work and associated burnout.
The study conducted at five academic medical centers showed an overall 3% decrease in total clinician EHR time and a 10% decline in documentation time, with more significant improvements among primary care providers and clinicians who utilized AI scribes extensively.
While AI scribe adoption led to financial benefits and time savings, it did not decrease off-hours EHR tasks, suggesting that time savings might be redirecting towards other work duties.