The use of AI in healthcare documentation will change the way that you experience healthcare.

I have done extensive research, spoken to founding teams, and trialed many products. Here is my review of four of the tools: Nuance DAX, Nabla, Ambience, and Augmedix.

Physicians are seeing what AI can do for the world. They are looking for tools that can be applied to them.

It is no secret that medical providers are inundated with administrative tasks that use up their time and energy for patient care. The modern EHR requires large amounts of provider time to access and input information.

In recent years, the healthcare industry has witnessed a remarkable transformation with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. One significant area where AI has made a substantial impact is medical documentation. Traditionally, healthcare professionals spent significant time and effort documenting patient encounters, leading to administrative burdens and potential errors. However, innovative AI-powered solutions offered by companies like Dax, Nabla, Ambience, and Augmedix have revolutionized the process of medical documentation, streamlining workflows, improving accuracy, and enhancing overall patient care.

1. Nuance Dax: Streamlining Medical Charting with Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Nuance DAX has been at the forefront of AI-powered medical documentation solutions, leveraging Natural Language Processing to convert spoken words into structured clinical notes. By integrating with electronic health record (EHR) systems, Dax enables healthcare providers to dictate patient encounters in real time, significantly reducing the time spent on manual data entry. Its advanced NLP algorithms ensure accurate capture of medical terminology, making it easier for physicians to document complex medical cases efficiently. Dax states that they help healthcare professionals focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks, leading to increased productivity and better outcomes. They have their original product DAX which has been in the market for years and is likely why they were acquired by Microsoft for almost $20B in 2022. Responding to the market shift to all AI solutions, they offer their DAX Express in Q4 of 2023 for general availability. This will be an all AI solution without the need for human interaction and comes with a lower price point which is to be determined. I have piloted “regular” DAX and they have a smooth way of integrating into the EHR and a phone app that runs the clinic day. The finalized notes come back based on your agreement which can be from 4 hrs to a day or two. The price point for regular DAX is generally $1000-2000 per provider per month. DAX is the original player in the full-service market and it will be interesting to if they can continue in the immediate return all AI note creation.

2. : Enhancing Clinical Documentation with AI

Nabla is a relatively new company in this market. When their Copilot solution launched in March of 2023, they changed the market by offering an easily accessible Chrome plug-in and a simple start-up that allowed clinicians the ability to start trailing their product in a few minutes. They specialize in AI-driven clinical documentation tools that also provide valuable decision support to healthcare providers. Through the patient and clinician conversation analysis, Nabla's AI algorithms generate contextually relevant documentation suggestions for clinicians. The note is created and can be customized with free text before being cut and pasted into the medical record. The current pricing is free for the first 30 visits and $119/ month of unlimited chart creation. By utilizing Nabla's AI-powered documentation, healthcare professionals can ensure that their medical records are comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date. They claim to save two hours of provider time per day along with 90% of clinicians reporting a reduction of fatigue when using Copilot. The differentiator from the market is that they state that you can get up and running in 30 seconds. I tried it and it is true. If you give feedback on a problem, they will fix it and respond within a day. They are the leader in quick and easy startups and easily the most price-conscious.

3. Ambience: Automating Transcription and Documentation

Ambience excels in automating medical transcription and documentation processes using cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies. Its speech recognition system accurately transcribes physician-patient interactions, generating comprehensive clinical notes automatically. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of transcription errors. Moreover, Ambience's AI capabilities adapt and improve over time, enhancing accuracy and the overall user experience. As a result, medical professionals can document patient encounters seamlessly and efficiently, leading to improved patient care and streamlined workflows. They introduced their tool AutoScribe in February 2023. Ambience AutoScribe technology, custom-built for medicine, works in real-time without human scribes. Providers using the technology reduce their documentation time by 76% on average. Their founding team has an impressive AI background and founders Michael Ng and Nikhil Buduma are very knowledgeable on AI applications within medicine. The demo that I had was robust with a solid note that allowed for accompanying letters to the patient and referring physicians. They are focusing on quality measures and RAF scores to help support the move to VBC. Pricing is unclear from the website and they seem to have a sliding scale based on volume. The company is backed by top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Human Capital, Kleiner Perkins, AIX Ventures, and OpenAI Startup Fund.

4. Augmedix: Revolutionizing Real-Time Medical Scribing

Augmedixis a leading pioneer in the field of real-time medical scribing using AI-powered solutions. It was founded in 2012 by Ian Shakil and is a public company listed on the NASDAQ. The company employs a team of remote medical scribes who use AI technology to transcribe and document patient encounters in real-time in Augmedix Live. Augmedix Note uses AI note creation and humans put these in the charts that are signed later. The newest product, Augmedix Go is an all AI solution that creates an immediate note. This approach ensures that physicians can focus entirely on patient care during appointments, without the need to divert attention to documentation. The integration of AI and human scribes enables accurate and timely medical documentation, leading to better patient experiences and increased productivity for healthcare providers. They have pricing that varies and is based on volume and terms. They have focused on existing customers like HCA and it will be interesting to see how the new Go product works in the larger market.

The next steps for these companies are:

1. Will these products be able to enter into discreet fields and pull up templates from voice commands? Quality measures and reporting cannot rely on boxes of text only.

2. Will pricing become more standard? Right now we have quite a range from $119 to over $2000/ clinician/month.

3. Will they support clinical workflows that vary? We all know that one clinician's workflow is… one workflow. Will they have enough ease of use or customizability to be adopted across the different specialities?

The adoption of AI in medical documentation has transformed how healthcare professionals handle administrative tasks, allowing them to concentrate on providing quality patient care. Companies like Dax, Nabla, Ambience, and Augmedix have played a pivotal role in this revolution by leveraging AI technologies such as NLP, machine learning, and real-time transcription. As the healthcare industry continues to embrace the potential of AI, we can expect further advancements in medical documentation, leading to improved efficiency, accuracy, and patient outcomes. This market is valued at $20 Billion and shows no sign of slowing.

By harnessing the power of AI, healthcare providers can focus more on what truly matters – delivering the best possible care to their patients.