Rewriting the script: the impact of AI scribes on health care
February 11, 2025.
Digital health innovations are reshaping the way health care is delivered in our communities. Tools like AI scribes - artificial intelligence (AI) technology that captures and summarizes consultations between people and providers into electronic medical notes - are transforming provider workflows and interactions with community members. We spoke with Ali Somers, Digital Health Lead for the FLA Ontario Health Team (OHT), to learn how AI scribes are making a meaningful difference for both providers and the people they serve across the region.
Enhancing the care experience for people and providers
At the heart of health care is the relationship between providers and the people they support, which depends on effective communication. However, often the administrative burden of documenting visits can detract from communication and the provider-person connection. More and more providers across the region are learning that AI scribes can alleviate this challenge. “By automating the documentation process, providers can fully focus on the individuals in front of them during appointments,” Ali explains. “Engaging in real conversations and addressing concerns without the distraction of taking notes creates a more positive and supportive experience.”
A provider’s demanding schedule and busy workload often mean that clinical notes can take days, weeks, or even months to complete. AI scribes have proven particularly beneficial for the timely completion of clinical notes—completed during or immediately after visits—while also improving their quality, ensuring they are accurate, detailed, and reflective of the encounter. “Providers report that the AI scribes generally produce quality notes that are more detailed than manually created notes from memory alone,” Ali adds.
For providers, the impact of AI Scribes is tangible. Dr. Anna Chavlovski, family physician and Chair of the FLA OHT Health Homes Support Structure, highlights the immense time savings and improved work-life balance AI scribes offer. “Using an AI scribe has reduced my documentation time by 75%, saving me hours of work each day. This additional time allows me to focus on other critical clinical tasks and devote more time to providing care. It has fostered a more balanced and sustainable way of working, significantly improving my professional wellbeing.”
The introduction of AI scribes has also reduced cognitive load, stress and burnout from extensive administrative work, freeing up valuable time and mental energy. “A recent study by OntarioMD found that more than 75% of providers reported reduced cognitive load during appointments when using AI scribes,” Ali notes. “This means providers can be more present and engaged with the people they support and less preoccupied with documentation.”
Additional tools, including translation services and the ability to automatically generate handouts, create opportunities to better involve people in their care and help them feel supported throughout a visit. The majority of providers who have tested AI scribe technology have said they can’t imagine going back to manual note-taking. “This offloading of administrative tasks not only contributes to better quality medical charts over time, but allows providers to focus on what really matters - supporting the wellbeing of the people they serve.”
While efficiency improvements through the use of AI scribes might result in an increase in the number of people receiving care from providers, Ali emphasizes that the primary goal is to support providers and improve the quality of care.
Overcoming adoption challenges
Like the introduction of any new technology, implementing AI scribes has come with some challenges. To address these, the FLA OHT provided digital change management resources for partners, which have been crucial to the success of this initiative. “Adding new technology to a health-care practice can be daunting,” explains Ali. “We worked closely with our partners to address privacy and data storage concerns, created standardized AI scribe consent forms, and offered demos and onboarding resources through our vendor.” Clinic champions and dedicated change managers have also played a pivotal role in easing the transition. “From microphone setup to customizing note templates, having a dedicated FLA OHT change manager has made a huge difference in helping providers feel confident and supported,” Ali added.
Through its priority work in digital health, the FLA OHT is dedicated to exploring and implementing digital health solutions that help create a more efficient, integrated and equitable health-care system for everyone in our community. The use of technology like AI scribes enable us to better support providers and ensure that every individual in our community receives the care and attention they deserve.