27-03-2025
Early evidence shows AI scribes reduce burnout, but without financial improvement
AI-powered medical transcription tools are alleviating clinician burnout but not yet saving practices money or making care more efficient, according to a report from the Peterson Health Technology Institute.
Why it matters: AI scribes that can securely transcribe medical notes for providers have exploded in popularity, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in investments.
State of play: There are now about 60 companies offering technology that listens to and transcribes a patient appointment using AI.
The promise of so-called ambient scribes to alleviate clinician stress is driving health systems to pilot these tools, the Peterson institute says.
As providers increasingly adopt AI scribes, the institute convened a task force of developers, health systems, investors and academics last year to discuss the outlook for the technology.
What they found: Mass General Brigham found a 40% reduction in reported burnout during a six-week survey pilot of an AI scribe, the institute's report says.
MultiCare, a health system in Washington state, found a 63% reduction in clinician-reported burnout due to AI scribe use.
Anecdotes and survey evidence from other providers also show that AI scribes improve clinician and patient experience.
Yes, but: It's too early to tell if the AI tools are making health providers more efficient. A study of 112 physicians using an ambient scribe at Atrium Health showed that the technology did not reach that goal overall.
Task force members also haven't seen significant financial improvements from their scribe technologies.
"As interest grows beyond a subset of clinicians and costs remain significant, health systems will increasingly need to demonstrate a clear return on investment, particularly at current prices," the report notes.
