Salem Clinic invests in cutting edge tools and technology in order to provide the best care possible for patients. In spring of 2024, a pilot group of physicians began to incorporate DAX Copilot, an AI software, into their exam room visits. After consenting to the presence of the AI technology, the software “listens” to the conversation between patient and doctor. Following the visit completion, the software generates a summary of the visit in the customary format that doctors are trained to document the patient’s concerns, their physical examination findings, assessment and plan. The note/summary is then reviewed, revised, and approved by the physician.
The trial of the software yielded immediate praise by the Salem Clinic physicians in the pilot. Once the produced summaries were proven to be detailed and accurate accounts of the visits, the physicians were able to focus more on each patient and visit and less on taking notes.
Waves of additional physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician associates across Salem Clinic adopted the technology throughout 2024, bringing the total users to over 90% of our medical staff. Some providers have estimated that this technology is saving them over an hour each day that they previously spent dictating notes from scratch. Others have noticed marked improvements in coding, including as much as a 10% increase in complexity accuracy.
This application of AI has been a game-changer in healthcare and it keeps getting better the more it is used.
As we reflect on the 100 years in practice that we are celebrating this year, we can’t help but think about how far the tools and technology in healthcare have come in that time. In charting alone, we have gone from barely legible hand written scratches, to dictated notes typed by a transcriptionist and pasted into paper charts, to dictated notes transcribed by software in real time, to now, notes generated by simply listening to the visit conversation directly.
The thoroughness and accuracy of AI notes are unmatched by all prior charting methods that relied on the healthcare provider to remember every detail.
Some may ask, is AI going to replace doctors? Our answer is, not any time soon. While AI has found a beneficial place in documentation, it cannot replace the very human side of healthcare that is the physical exam and relationship-development. A physician and their patient are partners in care. We hope to continue to partner with you, as we explore and adapt to this next century in practice together.
AI FAQs
HOW IS MY INFORMATION PROTECTED WHEN MY DOCTOR USES AI?
We want to assure you that your privacy is our utmost priority. The tool adheres strictly to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance guidelines to ensure your data is secured and protected. Only the healthcare professionals involved in your care have access to these notes.
All recording/data is securely encrypted using industry standard methods when transmitting to the secure data centers for processing. Recordings are not stored locally on your doctor’s phone, nor in the clinic. They are stored on Microsoft Azure servers with stringent data protection requirements.
HOW WILL I KNOW THE TOOL IS BEING USED?
Your doctor will access the CoPilot tool inside of the Epic electronic health record via their mobile phone. They will ask for, and document, your verbal consent to CoPilot during the visit.
Your doctor will interact with you as usual during the visit while CoPilot is listening. During a physical exam, your doctor will say aloud what they are seeing, hearing and feeling to create detail in the recording. At the end of your visit, the recording will be stopped and the technology will remove all extraneous conversation and draft a detailed note of the visit. Your doctor will later review and edit the note, as needed, and save it to your chart.
HOW DOES COPILOT IMPROVE THE CARE I RECEIVE?
- Your doctor will be more attentive during your visit, as they will not need to be in their computer taking notes.
- Your medical records will be more detailed regarding your symptoms, concerns and physical findings.
- You should experience improved health outcomes from more focused attention and accurate notes.
HOW DOES COPILOT HELP MY DOCTOR?
- The notes generated are more detailed and complete than those dictated from memory.
- They will be freed from the task of note-taking during visits and can focus on their patients.
- They will spend less time documenting visits and regain some work-life balance.
