Redefining Ambient Clinical Intelligence
In the rapidly evolving world of healthcare technology, "ambient clinical intelligence" (ACI) has become a buzzword and one I think about frequently. Many companies claim to offer ACI, yet few reflect the potential of this term to support today’s clinical teams. I think it is time to redefine what ACI means and set a new standard for the industry.
The Current State of ACI
Today’s definition of ACI largely revolves around the use of voice and transcription services to document patient encounters and generate a note. However, as any clinician knows, this note is often used primarily for billing purposes and is separated from clinical decision making beyond 2-3 sentences called the Assessment towards the bottom. In fact, most providers scroll to the bottom of a note to quickly see this section alone and ignore the remaining text. With this concept of a note, current ACI offerings serve largely as powerful dictation services, using templates to reorganize what is said into a billable document. This superficial approach may save time in typing but does little to support clinical decision making or reduce cognitive load on the practicing clinician.
Moving Beyond the Basics
To truly realize the potential of ambient clinical intelligence, we must go beyond simple transcription and formatting. True ACI should actively engage in clinical workflows, providing support to healthcare providers in tasks we do consciously and subconsciously. This means not only transcribing interactions but asking our systems to understand the clinical context of the visit and use this knowledge to inform its actions. Instead of writing a note, how about organizing information into relevant medical problems or conditions. Beyond a simple summarization tool, let’s display patient information in a way that is intuitive and mirrors a clinician’s own thought process. And more than striving for efficiency alone, why not allow clinicians to re-prioritize their tasks so repetitive actions like problem list and task management are taken care of so we can focus on supporting our patients.
Striving for True ACI
To truly redefine ACI, the industry must embrace solutions that integrate deeply with clinical workflows, providing real-time, actionable insights. More so, these solutions must be designed by and with the clinician in mind so they can address real needs in healthcare and not serve as a large bandage on an ever-growing wound. We have a chance to redefine the future of healthcare with these new tools, but we must make the most of this opportunity and serve as leaders in how these technologies grow.
We invite you to join this discussion and explore how AI can support healthcare and clinicians. By embracing advanced technologies that prioritize genuine clinical support, we can improve patient care and set a new standard for the industry. Let’s work together to redefine ambient clinical intelligence and transform the future of healthcare.
