Prime Highlights:
Athenahealth will integrate Abridge’s AI-powered scribing tool into its network of over 160,000 clinicians.
Abridge’s AI technology helps doctors draft clinical notes in real-time during patient visits, reducing administrative burden.
Key Background:
Athenahealth, a prominent health-care software provider, announced a partnership with Abridge, an AI-driven scribing tool, to enhance its network of over 160,000 clinicians. This integration is a part of Athenahealth’s Ambient Notes solution, a platform launched in October that allows physicians to select from various AI-powered documentation tools. Abridge, a leading startup in the AI scribing market, is now part of this suite, offering real-time clinical note drafting based on consensual patient visits.
Abridge’s tool leverages artificial intelligence to streamline the documentation process, significantly easing the administrative burden on doctors. This innovation is gaining traction in the health-care industry as organizations seek to alleviate clinician burnout, which is exacerbated by excessive paperwork. According to a Google Cloud study, doctors spend nearly nine hours a week on documentation tasks, while over 90% report feeling burnt out on a regular basis, a sentiment echoed by a February 2024 Athenahealth survey.
Abridge’s AI technology is already deployed in over 100 U.S. health systems, including prestigious institutions like the Mayo Clinic, Duke Health, and Johns Hopkins Medicine. The company recently raised $250 million in funding, which will support the expansion of its advanced Contextual Reasoning Engine. This new technology is designed to tailor information specifically for clinicians, adapting to each practice’s unique needs, and will be available to Athenahealth users in the near future.
Athenahealth CEO Bob Segert emphasized the growing importance of flexibility in the AI documentation space, as different clinicians will have varying preferences regarding how notes are taken and delivered. Although details of the financial agreement between the two companies remain undisclosed, Segert noted the expected rapid growth of AI scribing tools, with a steep adoption curve anticipated in the coming months. This move is part of Athenahealth’s ongoing commitment to reduce administrative workloads and improve clinician satisfaction, with plans to expand the Ambient Notes solution to more providers through 2025.
