San Francisco-based Augmedix has launched the first fully automated, AI-powered medical documentation software for emergency departments, and it’s already in use at one of the major health systems best in the country.
Known as Augmedix Go, the ambient documentation tool for ED leverages automatic speech recognition and natural language processing. It was developed in collaboration with physicians at four HCA Healthcare hospitals, the company said Wednesday as it announced its general availability.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
According to a statement from Augmedix, emergency department workflows require clinicians to document many interactions, decisions and re-assessments, and stay updated on patient progress – all of which take place within busy and noisy emergency room environments.
Dr. Michael Borunda, director of HCA’s Florida Trinity Hospital, noted: “Even though the sounds in the emergency room are very loud, Augmedix still understands the notes correctly.”
Last year, emergency room patients at HCA hospitals agreed to use ambient listening with a 99% acceptance rate, the company said, allowing emergency physicians to catch many unscheduled interactions. sequence.
Medical documentation for the ED uses proprietary, fine-tuned large language models and industry platform LLMs, including Google Cloud’s MedLM, Augmedix said.
When desired, instant compilation of medical notes from patient visits is accomplished via a hands-free, mobile app. Emergency medicine clinicians can choose to keep a mobile device with a Bluetooth microphone in their lab coat pocket and the tool will automatically generate patient interactions.
Augmedix said clinicians participating in the pilot reported positive feedback on the AI’s recording capabilities, note quality and accuracy.
“Using Augmedix allows me to spend more time with my patients,” Veronica Cassese Klasko, physician assistant at HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, said in a statement about the completion of the pilot and the availability of the tool. your personal computer and less time in front of your computer.”
“I can also essentially eliminate charting after my shift ends, which makes a huge difference.”
The partners say the pilot program is designed to gather direct feedback from patients, said Dr. Michael J. Schlosser, senior vice president of Care Transformation and Innovation at HCA Healthcare. doctors and nurses, and create a platform to meet their needs.
“This Augmedix proof of concept is not a complete solution, but by design,” when the partnership with Augmedix was first announced in 2023.
BIGGER TREND
According to Andrew Taylor, director of emergency clinical informatics at Yale University, synthetic AI deployments are primarily focused on scheduled clinical visits, however, if the health system has the capacity to Incorporating AI into critical care, it could benefit healthcare delivery. Medicine.
In terms of workflow and stakeholder engagement, the success of AI depends in part on the acceptance and integration of these systems by those directly affected by their use, he said. speak. Healthcare IT news in January.
By actively engaging stakeholders, he said, “AI tools can be created to address the diverse needs of healthcare delivery, ensuring that That innovation serves as a supportive extension of human care.”
ON PROFILE
Manny Krakaris, CEO of Augmedix said in a statement: “Our agile and resilient architecture, demonstrated through our broad product suite and open network platform, helps us address the needs of our customers. complex and diverse needs of clinicians and providers”. designed to allow clinicians to be present with their patients.”
Andrea Fox is a senior editor at Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
