The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, examined the experiences of 46 clinicians—including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants—across 17 specialties using Nuance’s DAX Copilot, an AI-powered ambient scribe integrated with Epic’s EHR system. The tool captures patient-clinician conversations and automatically generates clinical notes, reducing the need for manual documentation.
Here are four key findings from the study:
- From April to June 2024, researchers tracked EHR usage metrics before and after implementing the tool. On average, time spent on clinical notes decreased from 10.3 minutes per appointment to 8.2 minutes.
- Survey data, assessed using the System Usability Scale and Net Promoter Score, found that participants generally found the tool easy to use, though qualitative feedback revealed mixed reactions regarding its effectiveness.
- After-hours work—often called “pajama time”—dropped from 50.6 minutes to 35.4 minutes per workday for those using the tool.
- Clinicians reported lower mental strain associated with documentation and an increased ability to focus on patient interactions.
While the study highlights the benefits of ambient scribing, the authors recommend further research in additional settings, such as urgent care, and comparisons between different AI-driven documentation tools.