Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham is scaling its ambient documentation program, as clinician interest in the new technology continues to increase.
"Like many other institutions, we're experiencing record levels of burnout among our clinical staff," Rebecca Mishuris, MD, chief medical information officer at Mass General Brigham told Becker's. "A significant portion of this burnout is due to documentation burdens. Over the years, we've tried various approaches to alleviate this burden. Ambient documentation was the first truly scalable solution that had the potential to reduce documentation burden for our providers and alleviate some of the burnout they're experiencing."
The ambient documentation pilot program initially started with a proof of concept involving 20 clinicians. The results were promising enough to warrant a full-scale pilot with 400 providers. However, the interest from clinicians was so high at Mass General Brigham that the program quickly expanded to include more than 900 physicians and advanced practice providers.
The expansion aims to gather more data to understand which types of providers benefit most from this technology.
"With more providers, we get more data, allowing us to see differences more clearly," Dr. Mishuris said. "We can identify which clinical specialties and practice patterns are most positively impacted by ambient documentation."
The program also extends beyond ambulatory settings, being piloted in inpatient and emergency room settings where the workflow is significantly different. Dr. Mishuris stressed the importance of understanding how this technology performs in various clinical environments.
Measures for success
To measure the success of the ambient documentation program, Mass General Brigham is closely monitoring several metrics, including documentation burden, clinician burnout and patient experience. Dr. Mishuris said clinicians participating in the pilot are surveyed before starting, and again at eight weeks and three months in, to assess changes in their documentation burden and burnout levels. Time spent on documentation and EHR usage is also tracked.
"Patients notice when their providers are not on the computer during visits," Dr. Mishuris said. "This technology allows us to be more engaged with our patients, which enhances the overall experience for both the patient and the provider."
Despite the rapid adoption and positive feedback, there have been challenges. Dr. Mishuris acknowledged the need for patience as features are developed and refined.
"This is a space that is rapidly evolving, and we are not used to scaling technology that isn't fully developed," she said. "However, this gives us the opportunity to influence the development roadmap and ensure that the features our providers need are prioritized."
The future of ambient dictation
Looking ahead, Dr. Mishuris sees ambient documentation becoming a foundational technology in healthcare. She envisions integrating it with other aspects of clinical care delivery, such as order facilitation and billing processes.
"We hope this technology will continue to evolve and address more aspects of clinical care delivery," she said. "Ultimately, our goal is to reduce burnout for our providers and improve the patient experience."
Dr. Mishuris is optimistic about the future of ambient documentation and its potential to transform healthcare.
"This technology is putting us back in the room with our patients, rather than creating a barrier," she said. "It's rare to see technology that actually enhances the provider-patient relationship, and that's what makes this so exciting."