HCA Healthcare Expands AI Tool for Emergency Room Documentation
HCA Healthcare, the largest for-profit hospital chain in the United States, is planning to expand the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to document doctor-patient interactions in its emergency rooms (ERs). The plans for a broader roll out of the AI tool across its network comes nearly a year after the 184-hospital health system started working with medical documentation company Augmedix to pilot its ambient scribe technology at a handful of ER departments within the HCA network.
The AI tool, known as Augmedix Go, uses natural language processing and machine learning to automatically capture and document patient information, such as vital signs, medical history, and treatment plans. The tool is designed to reduce the administrative burden on physicians and other healthcare providers, allowing them to spend more time with patients and provide better care.
“The whole goal here was to develop a product that was affordable so that HCA can deploy it across their entire system, their entire network,” Augmedix CEO Manny Krakaris told STAT. An HCA spokesperson confirmed that the hospital chain plans to expand the use of Augmedix Go to more hospitals but did not specify a timeline for the rollout.
The expansion of the AI tool is part of HCA’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve patient care and reduce costs. The health system has already implemented a number of other AI-powered solutions, including a tool that helps to predict patient readmissions and another that helps to identify patients who are at risk of developing sepsis.
HCA’s investment in AI is a reflection of the growing trend towards the use of technology in healthcare. As AI technology continues to develop, it is likely to play an increasingly important role in the delivery of healthcare services.
