The American Academy of Family Physicians is seeking up to 100 physicians to participate in stage 2 of its Innovation Lab pilot program aimed at reducing EHR documentation burdens, according to a June 25 news release.
Through the program, participating physicians will use Suki's voice-enabled, artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant for up to 30 days and then be interviewed afterwards about their experience. Suki uses AI and machine learning technologies to help clinicians complete administrative tasks such as documentation or retrieving information from an EHR.
AAFP's Innovation Lab is part of a 42-month project approved by the agency's board of directors in fall 2018. Suki is the project's first pilot. The Innovation Lab's first stage of the project was to achieve proof of concept with a group of family physicians using the same type of EHR system. Now approaching the second stage, the project will expand to test more physicians across more EHR systems, such as Epic and PowerChart in addition to Athenahealth.
Interviews with physicians after stage 1 showed that using Suki decreased documentation time per patient by 62 percent and improved physician satisfaction with time needed to use EHRs for other administrative tasks by 84 percent.