Ambient scribes are on track to become one of the fastest adopted technologies in healthcare history, but their financial impact remains uncertain, a March 25 report from the Peterson Health Technology Institute found.
In September 2024, the Peterson Health Technology Institute formed an AI task force to explore the financial and operational impact of AI-powered administrative tools in healthcare. The task force included executives from health systems, AI companies and industry experts.
Here are six key findings from the report:
- Ambient AI scribes are among the fastest-adopted technologies in healthcare, with around 60 solutions currently in use.
- Emerging evidence suggests ambient scribes help reduce clinician burnout by alleviating documentation burdens. Some health systems report up to a 40% reduction in burnout among users.
- While the technology aims to increase efficiency, results on time savings are mixed. Some clinicians save significant time, while others see little impact due to existing workflow optimizations.
- Early data indicates patients feel more engaged with their physicians during visits, as doctors spend less time on screens. One health system saw an 8% improvement in patient satisfaction scores.
- Physician uptake has been inconsistent. Heavy users see benefits, while others use it selectively or discontinue after trials. Those with unoptimized documentation workflows tend to gain the most.
- While some hospitals see increased patient throughput, there is no definitive proof yet that ambient scribes improve financial outcomes or justify their cost at scale.
Health systems use different metrics to measure success, making cross-industry comparisons difficult. Calls for standardized impact assessment are growing, according to the report.
