OhioHealth rolls out AI bot technology in its doctor's offices

Your doctor's new assistant may be an AI bot.

The big picture: Artificial intelligence applications are already at work in exam rooms across Ohio, generating notes for doctors' visits with patients.

• Providers say it's saving them time, reducing burnout and allowing them to focus more on patients and less on note-taking during visits.

Why it matters: It's among the first in a long list of ways AI is likely to be used in medical offices in the coming years.

Zoom in: OhioHealth rolled out the technology in its primary care practices earlier this year.

• At this point about 100 practitioners use it, per the health system.

How it works: The software, DAX Copilot, is produced by Microsoft AI subsidiary Nuance. It promises "AI-automated clinical notes in seconds."

• At OhioHealth, practitioners start by getting their patient's permission to use the program to record the visit.
• If they agree (and most do, per the health system) the provider fires up the app and records the visit. At the end, a first draft of notes is waiting for them to review and make any necessary corrections.

What they're saying: Drafts the software creates aren't always perfect, but the early reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

• "We have definitely seen a trend toward decreasing what we call pajama time — that time at night when you're finishing up documentation and other administrative work," says Andrew Narcelles, a family medicine physician at OhioHealth who is overseeing the rollout.

Zoom out: Artificial intelligence has been a major focus in the health care industry, per Axios Pro's Erin Brodwin and Aaron Weitzman. Other promising use cases include:

• Alerting providers to patients who may need a higher level of care.
• Honing communication between patients and providers.
• And streamlining medical approval processes such as prior authorization.

What we're watching: The industry's experiments with AI haven't all been positive.

• For example, an investigation by health news site STAT found Medicare Advantage plans using AI algorithms to cut off care for seniors.