Some of my doctor colleagues are convinced that artificial intelligence is more hype than substance. Their stance is understandable, considering all the buzz about AI, but artificial intelligence has transformed my practice of medicine by enabling me to better connect with my patients.
Because of AI, I recently began talking more during patient appointments. Doing so has made me a better listener, in return. Yes, ironically, AI is helping the humans in the room connect with each other better. Let me explain. I began using an AI-driven ambient listening solution last fall. NextGen® Ambient Assist is a new documentation solution that securely converts a spoken, natural patient-doctor conversation into a structured SOAP note. The mobile app is on my phone and, with one tap of my screen, it listens to the entire patient encounter. It generates a note in 30 seconds, and I can easily review and edit immediately or at a later time using voice-to-text. Even better, it’s fully integrated into my EHR; I don’t need to copy and paste.
The technology can convert any natural conversation into the note so intelligently that it forms the basis of my note for most of my patient encounters. The technology is sophisticated enough to remove any pleasantries, so visit notes remain focused on what is truly medically important. After quick review and quick editing of the autogenerated notes, I can leave my office on time—a boost for my mental health, job satisfaction and effectiveness.
Beyond this uptick in efficiency, I’ve experienced improvements in patient interactions. When I say the complete care plan aloud during the visit so the AI will capture it for me rather than typing or dictating it after the encounter, there is a noticeable change in how the patient behaves. The appointment becomes more collaborative, and the verbalized care plan seems more approachable.
Patients ask important questions, offer clarifying details, sometimes voice objections, and overall take greater ownership of their care. I have been practicing medicine for over 20 years and I certainly thought I had been communicating well with my patients all along. But, to my surprise, summarizing care plans out loud in real time results in more engaged patients and more effective care.
Some people have asked me how patients react to the idea of AI involvement in our interactions. Since this particular ambient listening solution doesn’t record or save the conversation, and since no humans are involved in the creation of the note, I simply say: “I’m using voice recognition software on my phone to help write my note for me. Is that ok with you?” Patients always react positively. Meanwhile, I can maintain eye contact and genuinely engage with my patients instead of spending our time together with my head buried in a screen.
With AI on our side, we doctors can help keep communities healthy while engaging with our patients as human beings rather than datasets to be input. NextGen® Ambient Assist captures my patient plan, as long as I say it aloud. It is a powerful innovation that lets me look my patients in the eye and really talk to them. They do the same in response—equipping me to provide better care with nothing artificial about it at all.
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Dr. Robert (Bob) Murry, PhD, MD, FAAFP, is Chief Medical Officer for NextGen Health and a medical practice owner in Annandale, New Jersey. As a practicing physician and champion of quality care at NextGen Healthcare, he seeks to aid healthcare professionals’ care for hundreds of thousands of patients across the United States.