{"id":35677,"date":"2026-04-01T17:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=35677"},"modified":"2026-04-01T22:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T22:02:16","slug":"ai-scribes-ease-doctors-paperwork-modestly-cut-ehr-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/ai-scribes-ease-doctors-paperwork-modestly-cut-ehr-time\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Scribes Ease Doctors\u2019 Paperwork, Modestly Cut EHR Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new multisite study finds that AI scribes trim doctors\u2019 time in electronic health records and clinical documentation while slightly increasing patient visits. Researchers say the real promise may lie in how these tools reshape the way clinicians deliver care.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For many doctors, the workday does not end when the last patient leaves. Hours of typing notes into electronic health records (EHRs) often stretch into evenings and weekends, fueling burnout across the profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New research suggests that artificial intelligence\u2013powered \u201cAI scribes\u201d can help, at least a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one of the largest real-world studies of its kind, investigators from Mass General Brigham and the University of California, San Francisco, found that clinicians using AI-enabled ambient documentation tools spent less time in electronic health records (EHRs) and on clinical documentation, and were able to see slightly more patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study, <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/article-abstract\/2847319\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in <em>JAMA<\/em>, tracked use of AI scribes across five U.S. hospitals for more than two years. These tools listen to the conversation between clinician and patient, then automatically generate a draft clinical note for the clinician to review and sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On average, clinicians using AI scribes spent 13 fewer minutes per day in the EHR and 16 fewer minutes per day on documentation, representing relative decreases of 3% and 10%, respectively. They also completed about half an additional patient visit per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those numbers may sound small, but in a field where every minute is tightly scheduled, they add up over time and across large health systems. The findings also offer a rare, data-driven look at how AI is beginning to reshape the daily work of medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior author Rebecca G. Mishuris, the chief health information officer at Mass General Brigham, noted that earlier research has tied ambient documentation tools to lower burnout, but without clearly explaining why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPrevious studies link ambient documentation to a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.massgeneralbrigham.org\/en\/about\/newsroom\/press-releases\/ambient-documentation-technologies-reduce-physician-burnout\">significant decrease in burnout<\/a>, but the underlying drivers of this reduction have been unclear,\u201d Mishuris said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new study, part of the Ambient Clinical Documentation Collaborative (ACDC), compared more than 1,800 clinicians who used AI scribes with 6,770 similar clinicians at the same institutions who did not. The research team examined detailed EHR usage data to see how the technology changed patterns of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest gains were not evenly distributed. Primary care physicians, advanced practice providers, female clinicians and those who used ambient documentation in at least half of their patient encounters saw the most pronounced improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clinicians who used AI scribes for more than 50% of their visits experienced roughly twice the reduction in total EHR time and three times the reduction in documentation time compared with the overall average. Yet only about a third of users adopted the technology that frequently, suggesting that training, comfort and workflow integration may be key to unlocking its full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead and corresponding author Lisa Rotenstein, an associate professor of medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and a director of The Center for Physician Experience and Practice Excellence at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital, emphasized how quickly these tools are spreading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAmbient documentation use is expanding rapidly across U.S. health care, making it essential to study how these technologies are impacting clinicians in real time,\u201d Rotenstein said in the news release. \u201cOur study demonstrates the impact of AI scribes in diverse real-world implementations at multiple sites. It also emphasizes the value of helping clinicians become comfortable with the technology so that they are reaping its full benefits via frequent use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study also looked at financial impact. Because clinicians using AI scribes were able to see slightly more patients, revenue increased by an average of $167 per month per clinician. The authors described this bump as statistically significant but nominal, underscoring that the main value of the tools may be in time and experience rather than revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, time spent using the EHR outside of work hours did not differ significantly between clinicians who used AI scribes and those who did not. That finding raises important questions about how reclaimed minutes during the workday are being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mishuris pointed out that the modest time savings alone are unlikely to explain the reductions in burnout seen in prior research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe modest reductions in documentation time we observed are unlikely to fully account for changes in burnout, underscoring the need to understand how these tools change how clinicians approach care delivery while using them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One possibility is that by offloading some of the typing and clicking, AI scribes allow clinicians to focus more of their attention on patients during visits, improving the experience for both sides. Another is that clinicians may feel less cognitive load when they are not simultaneously trying to listen, think and document every detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study was observational, meaning researchers did not randomly assign clinicians to use AI scribes. Instead, they analyzed how work patterns changed for those who adopted the tools compared with peers who did not. That design reflects real-world conditions but cannot prove cause and effect as definitively as a randomized trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, the scale and diversity of the sites involved make the findings especially relevant for health systems considering or already rolling out similar technologies. The ACDC initiative is designed to keep monitoring how AI documentation tools affect clinicians over time, including whether time saved in the EHR translates into more direct patient care, professional development or simply a more sustainable workday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For students and early-career professionals watching AI move into clinics, the study offers a grounded view. Rather than transforming medicine overnight, tools like AI scribes are making incremental changes to how clinicians spend their time. Those changes may be modest on paper but meaningful in practice, especially if they help keep more clinicians in the workforce and more present with their patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors say the next step is to dig deeper into how different specialties, practice settings and levels of use shape the benefits and trade-offs of AI scribes, and to understand how best to support clinicians in adopting the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As health systems continue to experiment with artificial intelligence, the message from this study is clear: even small shifts in documentation time and workflow can matter, but measuring and understanding those shifts in real time is crucial to making AI work for both clinicians and patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.massgeneralbrigham.org\/en\/about\/newsroom\/press-releases\/ai-scribes-linked-to-modest-reductions-in-ehr-documentation-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mass General Brigham<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new multisite study finds that AI scribes trim doctors\u2019 time in electronic health records and clinical documentation while slightly increasing patient visits. Researchers say the real promise may lie in how these tools reshape the way clinicians deliver care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[468,38],"class_list":["post-35677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai","tag-mass-general-brigham","tag-university-of-california-san-francisco"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A new multisite study finds that AI scribes trim doctors\u2019 time in electronic health records and clinical documentation while slightly increasing patient visits. Researchers say the real promise may lie in how these tools reshape the way clinicians deliver care.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35677"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35732,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35677\/revisions\/35732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}