The promise of AI scribes sounds like a dream come true and it will be, just not for long
We are in the early adoption phase at the peak of the hype cycle. The vision of having your computer write the note for you with faster workflows, and more time for patient care is soooo enticing.
But as with any game-changing technology, there’s a catch: it’s a double-edged sword. The leading edge cuts your daily workload magnificently, but the trailing edge—the industry’s inevitable response to your increased productivity—is a clear and obvious danger to physicians in ways we can’t yet imagine.
IN THIS BLOG POST:
- How the virtual scribe programs are trained and how they will change your work flow.
- Why they might save you up to 50% of the time you now spend on visit notes.
- How the industry will respond to this increase in productivity.
- And why I fear for a future that holds deeper and darker sources of burnout than just the exhaustion of documentation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My PHYSICIAN LEADERSHIP COACHING PRACTICE is OPEN (Limited Availability!)
Learn and practice the tools for C-Suite influence, peer respect and leadership skill and fulfillment
Schedule your Discovery Session with This Link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While AI scribes will ease your current documentation burden magnificently, the relief will be only temporary.
As you spend less time in the chart, the business of medicine will naturally and automatically crank up patient and RVU quotas as fast and as soon as possible. I fear we will quickly reveal deeper, darker sources of burnout and perhaps long for these days when EMR protected us from this new level of overwhelm.
AI Scribes: How They Work and What They Promise
AI scribes are constructed by feeding programs like ChatGPT millions of specialty-specific chart notes. These models digest the data and, in no time, can replicate the writing style of a board-certified physician. At first glance, it’s magic. In reality, it’s a sophisticated exercise in probability—piecing together sentences word by word based on patterns it has learned.
Adopting an AI scribe is straightforward: choose your specialty, press the on button at the start of your visit, and let it listen while you engage normally with your patient. By the time you’ve walked back to your workstation, the note is there—accurate, comprehensive, and startlingly precise. A quick review and a few small edits and you are done with 95%+ less key stokes and clicks. You’ll feel like you’ve been handed the key to surviving your daily grind.
But that’s only the first step. The next one isn’t so simple.
The Other Shoe Falls
Let me ask you a question I’ve posed to hundreds of doctors: “If you’re spending 50% less time in the chart, how long do you think it will take for your boss to ask you to see more patients?”
The answer is always the same: “About five minutes.”
What begins as a blessing quickly becomes a burden. The AI scribe that felt like salvation will soon turn into the engine driving the hamster wheel. Employers will inevitably adjust workloads to capitalize on newfound efficiencies, cranking up patient and RVU quotas. Your initial relief from documentation fatigue will be replaced by the strain of a relentless, unsustainable pace.
Revealing a Deeper Burnout Source: Cognitive and Emotional Overload
Here’s why AI scribes are a true double-edged sword: they remove the physical strain of documentation but expose doctors to a new risk—the sheer mental toll of seeing more patients without the natural brakes EMR once provided.
Remember, you are a lightworker carrying the heavy emotional load of guiding sick, scared, and suffering patients—and their families—through difficult times. How much cognitive load is too much? How will we know when we’ve crossed the line?
Studies already point to decision fatigue and compassion fatigue, but these are only the beginning. As productivity quotas climb, I fear we’ll run into even deeper, more insidious sources of burnout driven by relentless cognitive demand.
The profit and loss statements will keep asking for more, and visit volume quotas will continue to rise. Doctors will drop, one by one, under the weight of this uncharted territory where productivity gains come at the cost of deeper mental strain.
The Mandatory Future of AI Scribes
I also predict that mastery of AI scribes will soon be a non-negotiable job requirement. If you can’t or won’t use the software, you won’t be qualified to apply. The virtual scribe that once felt like an optional tool will become a mandatory standard.
Navigating the Transition: Lead with Caution and Advocate for Balance
So, what’s a doctor to do?
- Be an early adopter: Become a power user of AI virtual scribe technology. If your employer is deploying it, volunteer to be in the first wave. If not, experiment with publicly available options like Nabla or ScribeMD.
- Advocate for humane work volumes: Prepare to push back when productivity quotas inevitably rise. Physicians must not only adopt AI scribes but also lead the conversation about their use. Advocate for measured increases in patient quotas and insist on time to assess their impact on cognitive and emotional health.
There - Engage with healthcare leaders: Emphasize the risks of unchecked increases and argue for a sustainable approach that respects the cognitive limits of physicians, not just the financial bottom line.
Conclusion
AI scribes are not a panacea. They offer immediate benefits but come with hidden costs that must be managed carefully. Be an early adopter, but also be a leader. Use the advantages of AI scribes, but never lose sight of the deeper challenges they bring. In the world of AI scribes, productivity is a double-edged sword. It is up to physicians to lead the way to a new balance point, a future where technology enhances care without sacrificing the well-being of caregivers.
~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT
- Are you using an AI virtual scribe now and how's it going?
- How worried are you at the prospect of a massive increase in your patient volume quota as soon as you are facile with this new technology?