Clinicians increasingly use AI to record notes during appointments or aid in diagnostic decisions, but some of the most valuable applications of these tools may actually lie outside the exam room. According to Dr. Beau Bailey, a physician who leads appeals and denials at the Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, Intermountain has seen major improvements in both efficiency and clinician satisfaction since implementing AI clinical documentation improvement (CDI) tools.
In particular, Intermountain has seen a 22% point increase in inpatient chart completion during or immediately after rounds. “Tasks that previously required hours of manual review, analysis, and synthesis can now often be completed in a matter of minutes,” Bailey said, in an interview on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the organization’s Net EHR Experience Score (NEES) has risen by 11.5 points, indicating that the technology has improved clinicians’ satisfaction with the EHR systems being used. As Bailey explained, clinicians are often burdened by administrative tasks that reduce time spent on the activities with the greatest impact on patients. Rather than replacing physicians in work requiring higher-level skills like clinical judgment and strategic thinking, Bailey said, AI makes it possible for clinicians to focus on these activities rather than losing hours to routine administrative tasks.
AI tools also help with communication across different areas of an organization by standardizing the processes used by clinical and revenue cycle teams. When these teams operate in silos, organizations face issues like redundant work and obstacles to sharing information. For example, Bailey said, “Physicians do not naturally speak the language of coding, and coders do not always interpret clinical language the same way providers communicate it,” which creates problems in accurately documenting work performed by physicians.
AI works by “helping clinicians, coders, and administrative teams speak a more common language,” Bailey said. This ensures that factors like complexity, intensity, and severity are accurately communicated to payers in documentation, reducing denials and other barriers to reimbursement.
Still, Bailey emphasized that Intermountain is taking caution when implementing newer AI technologies. Without sufficient protocols in place for its use and oversight, use of AI can lead to serious unintended consequences that not only influence operations and costs but also pose risks to patient safety. Intermountain is also monitoring the technology’s use to guarantee that their overall impact is positive. “As we continue to objectively measure outcomes and refine our AI-supported workflows,” Bailey said, “we’re able to continuously elevate performance and identify opportunities for ongoing improvement.”
By broadening use of AI beyond clinical encounters, organizations like Intermountain can reduce costs while simultaneously improving the quality of their work. “Ultimately, the possibilities are nearly endless,” Bailey said. “My biggest hope is that it will help clinicians return their focus to what really matters in healthcare: the patients.”
Photo: mdisk, Getty Images
