Ambient artificial intelligence scribes: utilization and impact on documentation time

Objectives: To quantify utilization and impact on documentation time of a large language model-powered ambient artificial intelligence (AI) scribe.

Materials and methods: This prospective quality improvement study was conducted at a large academic medical center with 45 physicians from 8 ambulatory disciplines over 3 months. Utilization and documentation times were derived from electronic health record (EHR) use measures.

Results: The ambient AI scribe was utilized in 9629 of 17 428 encounters (55.25%) with significant interuser heterogeneity. Compared to baseline, median time per note reduced significantly by 0.57 minutes. Median daily documentation, afterhours, and total EHR time also decreased significantly by 6.89, 5.17, and 19.95 minutes/day, respectively.

Discussion: An early pilot of an ambient AI scribe demonstrated robust utilization and reduced time spent on documentation and in the EHR. There was notable individual-level heterogeneity.

Conclusion: Large language model-powered ambient AI scribes may reduce documentation burden. Further studies are needed to identify which users benefit most from current technology and how future iterations can support a broader audience.