Deploying Ambient Clinical Intelligence to Improve Care: A Research Article Assessing the Impact of Nuance DAX on Documentation Burden and Burnout
Publication Title
Future Healthcare Journal
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-17-2025
Keywords
oregon; washington; prn; core; portland; olympia; burnout; retention; clinical documentation; charting; artificial intelligence; pajama time; off-hours documentation
Abstract
Introduction
Occupational burnout among clinical care providers, due in part to documentation burden, has reached crisis level. This study measured the effect of using new clinical documentation software, an ‘ambient clinical intelligence’ (ACI) program, to reduce the documentation workload and improve provider well-being.Methods
This was a randomised, control study with a step-wedge design. Providers were randomly assigned to use ACI early or late in the study. Medical records metadata captured time spent on documentation. Measures of burden and burnout were collected monthly.Results
ACI significantly reduced documentation burden, provider frustration and burnout. Providers spent less documentation time each day, and 2.5 hours less per week of off-hours documentation.Discussion
This study demonstrates that the use of ACI does indeed relieve the documentation burden and had both subjective and objective benefits. The widespread use of ACI has the potential to alleviate the crisis of physician burnout.Area of Special Interest
Mental Health
Specialty/Research Institute
Behavioral Health
Specialty/Research Institute
Health Care Administration
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fhj.2025.100450
