Source
Download (517.03 Ko) # Executive Summary
# Background and Objective
In Ontario, more than 70% of primary care providers (PCPs) report feelings of burnout due to an increase in administrative work and the chronic shortage of healthcare professionals. Artificial intelligence (AI) scribes and robotic process automation (RPA) have emerged as potential solutions to address these challenges, and this project aimed to evaluate their impact on primary care and potential benefits for the Ontario healthcare system.
# Methods
Over 150 PCPs across Ontario were provided licenses to an AI scribe for a period of three months, with a subset of PCPs also trialing an RPA solution. The Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV) led a clinical evaluation of AI scribes and RPA technology, leveraging methods in both laboratory and real-world settings.
# Key Findings
- In the lab setting, using an AI scribe was associated with a 69.5% reduction in time spent documenting during clinical encounters (p<0.001).
- In routine practices, PCPs using AI scribes reported a three-hour reduction, per week, in time spent on administrative tasks afterhours (p<0.05).
- PCPs using AI scribes also reported reductions in administrative burden, cognitive load, and afterhours work; improved efficiency and documentation practices; increased job satisfaction, professional fulfillment, and work-life balance; and perceived improvements in quality of care.
- Most PCPs saw value in AI scribes, and many were willing to pay for them, but very few were willing to pay the current market price.
- PCPs were also receptive to automating other administrative tasks that contribute to their workload, especially for time-consuming repetitive tasks driven by mouse-clicks and keystrokes.
Overall, although AI scribes and other automation processes can help reduce the administrative burden for PCPs, ongoing evaluation is necessary to ensure that these technologies continue to support PCPs while also optimizing accuracy, effectiveness, and safety for both patients and providers as performance may vary overtime.