Ambient AI scribes have evolved from experimental technology into one of the fastest-growing tools in U.S. healthcare, reshaping how clinicians document patient encounters.
What began as early-adopter pilots in 2020 has accelerated into enterprisewide deployments. Health systems that once measured adoption in dozens of users now count them in the thousands.
Mass General Brigham and Emory Healthcare recently published findings on the impact of ambient AI documentation technology on physician burnout.
The 2025 study, published in JAMA Network Open and led by Mass General Brigham researchers, drew on surveys of more than 1,400 physicians and advanced practice providers at Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham and Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare. At Mass General Brigham, use of ambient documentation technology was associated with a 21.2% absolute reduction in burnout prevalence at 84 days. Emory Healthcare reported a 30.7% absolute increase in documentation-related well-being at 60 days.
The findings come as health systems nationwide expand deployments well beyond early pilot programs.
After an eight-week evaluation, University of Toledo Health expanded use of an ambient AI clinical documentation tool within its Epic EHR. During the pilot, the health system reported a 29% reduction in time to chart closure and a decrease in documentation backlog from more than 400 open charts to fewer than 30 in some departments.
As of May 2025, Mass General Brigham’s ambient documentation initiative had grown from an 850-person pilot to an enterprisewide program with more than 2,700 active users. To broaden access, the health system made the tool available across the enterprise at the end of 2024, positioning it as a clinician well-being solution rather than limiting it to specific provider groups.
That trajectory reflects a broader industry trend. A March 2025 report from the Peterson Health Technology Institute found ambient scribes are on track to become one of the fastest-adopted technologies in healthcare history, with approximately 60 solutions currently on the market. A January 2026 study published in The American Journal of Managed Care found nearly two-thirds of U.S. hospitals using Epic’s EHR had adopted ambient AI tools for clinical documentation as of June 2025.
Despite the reported burnout improvements, the technology’s financial case remains less certain. The Peterson Health Technology Institute report found that while ambient scribes reduce clinician burnout and cognitive load, they have not yet demonstrated a clear return on investment for health systems. Costs range from about $100 to $600 per provider per month depending on the vendor.
Several health system CIOs told Becker’s that while ambient AI improves documentation workflows, it does not necessarily reduce downstream administrative work. Once a session ends, care teams still must review, act on and distribute the information. The technology is also expected to continue evolving.
Researchers involved in the JAMA Network Open study noted that vendors have continued refining their tools based on user feedback since the pilots concluded, while the large language models powering the technology have improved through additional training.
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