If there is one about human arsenal that needs mentioning, it has to be our ability of improving at a consistent pace. We say this because the stated ability has already served the world some pretty huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major member of the group. The reason why technology enjoys such an esteemed stature among people is, by and large, predicated upon its skill-set, which guided us towards a reality that nobody could have ever imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look up close for a second, it will become clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired from the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum-wide presence, and consequentially, kickstarted a full-blown tech revolution. Of course, this revolution then went on to scale up the human experience through some outright unique avenues, but even after achieving such a monumental feat, technology will somehow continue to produce the right goods. The same has grown increasingly evident in recent times, and assuming one new healthcare-themed development shakes out just like we envision, it will only make that trend bigger and better moving forward.
GI Alliance, the nation’s leading network of gastroenterology providers, has officially signed off on a partnership with Ambience Healthcare to build a comprehensive suite of AI documentation tools customized for gastroenterology space. To understand the significance of such a development, we must acknowledge how, given that every specialty has a different care model and different workflows, it becomes challenging for clinicians to seamlessly integrate AI documentation technology into their operations. You see, assuming the stated differences aren’t duly addressed; there is a great chance that the concerned clinician will have to spend a larger chunk of their time just editing the generated documentation. In their response, Ambience Health and GI Alliance worked side-by-side to particularly account for GI documentation by delivering support for complex visits like IBD encounters. They have enabled clinicians to use documentation support for clinical pathway adherence, conduct dietary and nutritional assessments, and automate common GI scoring systems, such as Bristol stool chart and Glasgow-Blatchford bleeding scores. Not just that, they have also made it possible to accurately capture prior diagnostic procedures and pathology reports. Having covered the initial bits and bobs, the question that we are left with is how GI Alliance and Ambience Healthcare will achieve these objectives from a more actionable standpoint. The answer resides in latter’s comprehensive suite of AI documentation tools. Here, we begin from Ambience’s AutoScribe solution, which is a real-time medical scribe best known for generating detailed notes across all clinical specialties, an ability that becomes all the more valuable once you consider it can also integrate directly with every major EMR. Next up, we have AutoCDI. AutoCDI is basically a point-of-care CDI assistant who has been handed an ability to analyze conversations and past EMR context to ensure that ICD-10 codes, CPT codes, and documentation all appropriately support each other. It further brings to the fore full audit trails for revenue cycle teams. Then, we have the prospect of AutoRefer, a prospect where AI software clinically composes relevant and well-organized referral letters to specialists for expert consult. It also handles inflow of information from specialists back to primary care for long-term management, thus significantly enhancing the quality of handoffs. Moving on to AutoAVS, it is essentially an after-visit summary tool which can manufacture educational handouts for patients and their families. Notably enough, all these handouts are tailored specifically to each visit, as well as translated into the patient’s language of preference. Joining these tools soon is going to be a solution called AutoPrep. From what we know so far, AutoPrep will be all about conceiving intelligent pre-charting to assist the clinician in catching up on a case’s particulars and designing the agenda for the next visit.
“The true advantage of this innovative solution (suite) lies in its ability to enable clinicians to concentrate solely on delivering top-notch patient care, with the confidence that Ambience will create a high-quality note on their behalf, available immediately after the visit. Our team has diligently ensured that this tool not only fulfills documentation requirements but also accommodates clinicians’ individual preferences, from succinct notes to more detailed, diagnosis-based assessments and plans. Furthermore, we have rigorously tested its compatibility with the workflow demands of our gastroenterologists,” said Nancy Farrar, P.A.-C, Executive Director of Clinical Informatics at GI Alliance.
Founded in 2020, Ambience Healthcare has risen up the ranks by leveraging generative AI technology to reduce clinician burnout, improve system efficiency, and enable high-quality care. Through stuff like longitudinal context, AI technology custom built for medicine, multi-modal support, multi-lingual framework, state-of-the-art speech recognition technology, and more, the company has been able to aid the case of various industry leaders. The stated list, for instance, includes Cerner, AdvancedMD, ElationEMR, EPIC, Athenahealth, DrChrono, Adracare, and eClinicalWorks etc.
Making GI Alliance a suitable candidate for such a partnership is, of course, its nationwide network of gastroenterology specialists. Not just that, the company has also made a name for itself through comprehensive care for every age, packing together advanced technology and treatment options, and a far-reaching assortment of accepted insurance plans and self-pay options, all while simultaneously providing industry-leading GI health research and clinical trials. GI Alliance’s excellence in what it does can also be understood once you consider it currently has on its roster more than 800 independent gastroenterologists practicing across US in areas like Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, and now Rhode Island.
The deployment of Ambience Healthcare’s suite of AI tools at select GI-powered institutions is already underway, with initial results understood to be positive. To give an example, , Dr. Yvette Lam of Arizona Digestive Health is reportedly saving around 5-6 hours per week, and at the same time, she has also observed significant improvements with patient and clinician communication.
“Other scribing solutions were not compatible with my workflow and notes started to pile up. Ambience AutoScribe slots into my patient care routine, enabling me to consistently complete my charts on the same day while eliminating multitasking during visits. It accurately captures the details of each conversation and summarizes concisely, so that I can focus on important medical information and make comprehensive decisions and recommendations. With AutoAVS, I’ve also been able to save time and clearly communicate appointment summaries and treatment plans for my patients and their families,” said Lam.
