Dr. Nancy Cibotti, associate chief medical information officer at Beth Israel Lahey Health, has experience with large-scale healthcare IT rollouts, including the implementation of Epic across the system. She notes that such rollouts are long and difficult processes.
During the Epic rollout, Cibotti learned about an ambient clinical documentation tool, Heidi, which uses artificial intelligence to assist with documentation. The tool was initially introduced to a select group, but its adoption grew due to enthusiasm from clinicians.
Cibotti, who is also a primary care physician, joined Heidi as its U.S. chief medical information officer earlier this year. She discussed what makes an ambient solution attractive for physicians and the need for AI adoption to move away from single point solutions.
According to Cibotti, there is a gap between IT and clinical collaboration when it comes to tech adoption. IT solutions focus on scalability, reliability, security, and compliance, while clinicians want a better experience for themselves and their patients, as well as improved quality and efficiency.
Cibotti suggests that organizations should look for solutions that offer flexibility to address this gap. She notes that ambient clinical documentation tools, such as Heidi, have been promising in this regard, as they can change the way clinicians work and improve patient care.
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Cibotti recalls that when Heidi was implemented at Beth Israel Lahey Health, it was transformative, allowing her to complete her notes at the end of the day, which she had not been able to do in 30 years. She also mentions that other clinicians felt they could sit back, relax, and listen to patients more, reducing their cognitive load.
Organizations are measuring the success of these tools by the time saved in documentation, as well as improved patient experience and quality of care. Cibotti notes that there is data in the literature and anecdotal evidence to support these benefits.
To effectively adopt an ambient documentation tool, organizations need to re-evaluate their workflows, rather than simply layering a new tool over old processes. Cibotti advises finding a balance between introducing new tools and changing existing workflows, and notes that guardrails, such as clinician oversight, are necessary to ensure quality.
They see ambient clinical documentation tools as a way to support clinicians, rather than replace them. Dr. Cibotti believes that these tools can help clinicians focus on patient care, rather than documentation, and improve the overall quality of care, allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively.