William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) in El Paso, Texas, has invested in artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help prevent doctor burnout. The AI tool, known as ambient listening, works in the background to document patient visits into structured medical notes, easing the load on doctors.
Reducing Burnout
A recent study by JAMA Network Open found that doctors spend more than half of their workdays documenting information from patient visits on computers. This has led to many doctors leaving the profession due to burnout. The AI technology used by WBAMC aims to reduce this burden and allow doctors to focus more on patient care.
According to Colonel Gray, director of WBAMC, the AI tool is not only helpful for doctors but also beneficial for patients. "I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a doctor and they have their back to you," Colonel Gray said. "This alleviates the need for a provider to sit there on the computer. I can be totally attentive to you."
Command Sergeant Major Jason Skaggs also expressed his pride in the technology and the WBAMC team. "We’re predominantly civilian here and military facility," Skaggs said. "During the government shutdown, we had a 1 to 2 percent call-out rate and didn’t have to curtail any services."
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
