Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health announced on Dec. 11 a partnership with Notable Health to deploy Notable's platform that uses robotic process automation and artificial intelligence to streamline patient intake and medical charting.
The Notable platform automates the intake process by pinging patients ahead of their visit to enter in symptoms and update medical histories and medications from their smartphones. The platform then inputs the patient's data into their EHR and other information systems within the hospital so clinicians have updated information ahead of the visit.
Then, during appointments, physicians can use Apple Watch wearable technology to dictate a summary of the visit that is integrated with the patient's record. Notable's platform uses AI, machine learning and natural language processing to learn physician behaviors and work patterns to assist them with related administrative tasks.
"Our hope is that through this process, patients feel better prepared for their appointments, spend less time in the waiting room, and can spend more time focusing on their health," said Senior Vice President and Chief Strategic Innovation Officer Rich Roth. "Our physicians will have more hands-on time with patients and their families. They can have deeper discussions on the health and quality of life of those they care for."
CommonSpirit, which has 700 care sites in 21 states, will first deploy the technology at select ambulatory primary care centers in California but hopes to scale it broadly across the health system.
Here, Mr. Roth discusses why CommonSpirit decided to partner with Notable and how he sees artificial intelligence evolving in healthcare.
Question: What stood out to you about Notable's platform that made it an attractive technology partnership with CommonSpirit?
Rich Roth: One of the things that is exciting about Notable's approach is its longitudinal nature. We want to work less on individual point solutions and more on making the patient journey more seamless, in this case from appointment booking to registration to visit. We also look for approaches that reduce friction for our caregivers.
At the same time that we want consumers have a good experience; we want that same level of experience to carry through to our providers. Notable is one of the first solutions we have seen that is looking at the problem from both lenses.
Q: What challenges do you expect when implementing the platform systemwide?
RR: [Robotic process automation] is a new capability and we will learn the areas it works well in addition to finding opportunities that may be better-suited for other solutions. We always look for partners that want to walk alongside us on this journey. We believe the best innovations are implemented in real-world settings with caregivers and operators in partnership with creative entrepreneurs.
Q: This is a clear example of how artificial intelligence and robotic process automation can be beneficial in healthcare. Are there any other specific AI applications you are looking into for 2020?
RR: At the end of the day, we are interested in all solutions that improve care quality, reduce cost and expand access. Often, administrative friction points, such as the ones we are addressing in this partnership, are not seen as the most attractive areas for entrepreneurial endeavors. However, these are real problems health systems are looking to solve and I hope to see more innovation in this area.