Abridge AI

My Thoughts:

I just started using this at work, I've done about 1.5 weeks using this will all of my patient visits. Week 1 Pilot Summary: 

Pros:

• • More thorough and safer notes, especially with plans not specific to Diabetes (e.g., memory plan, f/u with PCP re: new sxs, etc.). It breaks down the plan in multiple diagnoses (memory concerns, hypertension, diabetes) for improved clarity.

  • Due to the nature of the program going off of spoken work, this forces you to verbalize more. This benefits the patient by restating for clarity and for improved empathy of active listening.

  • It encourages more active listening. Since you're less distracted not needing to type while facilitating the visit, you can spend more time engaged with the patient, or performing other EPIC tasks (placing orders, drafting routing comments, etc.)

  • I am more focused on the patient and our conversation (with a caveat: since I know the system is listening, I feel less responsible for remembering things or actively writing down important things as they come up, there have been times when the system does not include something that I deem is clinically important to include in the documentation). Flip side: the system catches things that I didn't remember for our convo, if pertinent I can listen back to the recording.

  • I do feel this is a time saver, especially for less efficient charters who do not currently "chart as they go" or for those who are slow typers.

Cons:

• • There is some initial learning curve and time investment for training and onboarding, which at the moment is mostly independent (up to the clinician to seek out all materials online). Would benefit from having a SuperUser assist with training. It takes some initial practice getting it to work well, learning the system.

  • Requires some edits and revisions in the provided draft before copy/pasting final version in EPIC. Note quality is highly variable from 3/5 to 5/5 (my subjective rating). The medications tab is not very helpful, the labs section is often incorrect and not presented in a helpful view, or is redundant as it will put pertinent labs in the HPI and/or assessment.

  • Since you don't "chart as you go", there is some final charting to do in the post-visit time. You do have to spend time copy and pasting into the note SmartPhrase.

  • You still have to take down CBGs in a table (the system just presents it in a list with dates, not a great visual for easy assessment of trends). This is required if you want the context (time of day, easily spotting gaps in pt monitoring, etc..

  • Has some provider language, like I'm diagnosis patients with things, when I should say "at risk for" or "consistent with" rather than the Dx.

  • Need to document consent and review each time. Takes an extra 10 or so seconds at the start of the visit to review consent. Don't want to forget to ask. SmartPhrase edits will help trigger remembering.

Resources:

• Utilities: Verbatim Mode is in Beta currently. I do not have access to this service yet. But I've seen the guide (below), which reviews how this is an add on which is made for listening to a clinican outside of a visit with a patient, and dictating your speech. Apparently, they expect this to be used to ad hoc encounters (e.g., surprise calls, secure messages, lab result messages, etc.). 

• Privacy & Security: The recording is HIPAA compliance and securely saved for a short period of time (14 days), after which it is permanently deleted.