The transition to electronic medical records has created an unexpected challenge in health care delivery: family physicians now spend approximately 45% of their clinical hours interacting with computers rather than patients. This shift has significantly impacted physician-patient interactions and contributed to increasing physician burnout.

The University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine is addressing this through patient care innovation, implementing AI medical scribe technology supported by the Health Care Unburdened Grant program.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to address administrative burden in health care, where physicians spend about 18.5 million hours on administrative tasks each year, with 75% of doctors reporting this impedes patient care.

Transforming health care’s administrative burden: A systemic approach

The initiative focuses on implementing and evaluating Autoscribe, a Canadian AI-powered medical documentation solution that supports real-time transcription of patient-physician conversations.

“The first thing that happens when your clinic gets busy is you stop documenting … that’s the time when you need this the most,” explains Dr. Rajesh Girdhari (Digital Health Lead, University of Toronto), emphasizing how the technology supports health care providers during crucial moments.

Enhanced patient-centered care through technology: The human impact

“The biggest benefit of the AI scribe for me is that it has increased the quality of the patient-physician encounter,” shares Dr. Marco Lo, family physician and member of the East Toronto Family Practice Network. “Without the stress of documentation, or deferring charting to after-hours, I can focus entirely on the patient and what they are telling me. Then, I can fully focus on generating a plan and discussing next steps. This has created a better experience for my patients, and for me as a clinician.”

Catalyst for health care system transformation: A multi-benefit solution

“This grant for us was really just a catalyst for the whole project,” notes Dr. Rajesh Girdhari. “This is one of these products uniquely positioned to benefit patients, physicians, and the system in general.”

The two-year implementation project aims to evaluate how AI medical scribe technology can enhance patient-centered care in Ontario, while helping reduce the administrative burden of health care professionals.

Addressing systemic challenges in health care delivery

The implementation of this technology comes at a crucial time, as the current documentation burden has contributed significantly to the shortage of family physicians in Ontario and a diminishing interest in family medicine among medical learners. By evaluating and supporting the implementation of Autoscribe, the initiative hopes to accelerate its adoption across health care settings, leading to substantial benefits for doctors and Ontario’s health care system.

Measuring impact and future implementation: Key evaluation metrics

This patient care innovation represents a significant advancement in transforming the delivery of care.

The evaluation will assess the initiative based on:

· Improvements to physician satisfaction and well-being

· Patient satisfaction

· Improvements to clinical operational efficiencies

· Reductions to clinical documentation time

· Accuracy and reliability of the AI scribe’s output

Collaborative approach to health care innovation: Building strong partnerships

The success of this AI health care initiative relies on strong partnerships across the health care sector. Led by the Office of Health System Partnerships in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at University of Toronto, the project brings together key health care organizations including:
• East Toronto Health Partners
• East Toronto Family Practice Network
• North York Toronto Health Partners
• North York Toronto Primary Care Network
• Scarborough Ontario Health Team
• Scarborough Family Physicians Network
• KW4 Ontario Health Team
• eHealth Centre of Excellence
• Mutuo Health Solutions

Supporting health care’s future: An investment in care

This initiative is part of a larger $10-million investment through the Health Care Unburdened Grant program, established by the Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank®. The program supports innovative initiatives across Canada aimed at enabling health care providers to focus more on what matters most – patient care.

For more information about this initiative and other supported projects, visit cma.ca/hcug and dfcm.utoronto.ca/news/primary-care-clinicians-harnessing-power-ai-scribe-technology-reduce-burnout-and-enhance