Doctors adopt AI note-taking systems

AI-powered assistants that document patient encounters and produce clinical notes for physician assessment resulted in notable decreases in physician burnout and enhancements in well-being, as indicated by a Mass General Brigham investigation across two major healthcare systems.

The outcomes, released in JAMA Network Open, are based on surveys from over 1,400 physicians and advanced practice providers at both Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.

At MGB, the implementation of ambient documentation technology was linked to a 21.2 percent absolute reduction in burnout rates after 84 days, while Emory Healthcare observed a 30.7 percent absolute boost in documentation-related well-being after 60 days.

“Ambient documentation technology has been remarkably impactful in liberating physicians from their keyboards, allowing for increased in-person interactions with their patients,” stated study co-senior author Rebecca Mishuris, chief medical information officer at MGB, a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School, and a primary care doctor in the healthcare system. “Our doctors inform us that they have regained their evenings and weekends and have rediscovered their passion for practicing medicine. There is genuinely no other method in our field that influences burnout to this degree.”

Burnout among physicians affects over 50 percent of doctors in the U.S. and is connected to time spent on electronic health records, especially after hours. Additionally, evidence shows that the pressure and expectation to finish their appointment notes significantly exacerbate physician burnout.

“Burnout negatively affects both providers and their patients, who face increased threats to their safety and access to care,” noted Lisa Rotenstein, a co-senior author of the study and director of The Center for Physician Experience and Practice Excellence at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She also serves as an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine. “This is a challenge that healthcare institutions nationwide are striving to address, and ambient documentation presents a scalable solution worthy of further investigation.”

“Our physicians inform us that they have regained their evenings and weekends and have rediscovered their passion for practicing medicine.”

Rebecca Mishuris, Mass General Brigham
 

Qualitative insights from users praised that ambient documentation facilitated increased “interaction with patients and families,” enhancements in their “joy in practice,” while acknowledging its potential to “fundamentally [transform] the experience of practicing medicine.” Conversely, some users felt it extended time spent on note-writing or was less useful for specific types of visits or medical specialties. Since the commencement of pilot studies, AI technologies have advanced as vendors have adapted based on user feedback and the large language models driving these technologies have improved through ongoing training, necessitating further research.

The researchers evaluated survey statistics from pilot users of ambient documentation technologies at two significant health systems. At Mass General Brigham, 873 physicians and advanced practice providers completed surveys prior to enrollment, and then after 42 and 84 days. Roughly 30 percent of users replied to the surveys at the 42-day mark, and 22 percent at 84 days. All 557 Emory pilot users were surveyed before the pilots began and then at the 60-day mark, with an 11 percent response rate. Researchers examined the survey responses to quantify various measures of burnout at Mass General Brigham and physician well-being at Emory Healthcare.

The study authors pointed out that since these were pilot users and the survey response rates were limited, the results are likely representative of more engaged users, and additional research is needed to monitor clinical implementation of ambient documentation across a wider range of providers.

Mass General Brigham’s ambient documentation initiative commenced in July 2023 as a proof-of-concept pilot study involving 18 physicians. By July 2024, the pilot, which assessed two different ambient documentation technologies, expanded to encompass over 800 providers. As of April 2025, the tools have become accessible to all Mass General Brigham physicians, with over 3,000 providers regularly utilizing the resources. Later this year, the program intends to extend to other healthcare professionals such as nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. 

“Ambient documentation technology signifies a progression in healthcare and introduces new tools that may positively influence our clinical teams,” stated Jacqueline You, lead author of the study and a digital clinical lead and primary care associate physician at Mass General Brigham. “While testimonials from providers about being able to contact more patients or return home to play with their children without the burden of notes are compelling, we believe that the data on burnout reflects similar levels of commitment to the potential of these technologies and the necessity for ongoing examination.”

The application of ambient documentation will continue to be studied through surveys and other metrics tracking burnout levels and time allocated to clinical notes during and outside working hours. Researchers will assess whether burnout rates improve over time as the AI system develops or if these benefits plateau or are reversed.

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This project received financial backing from the Physician’s Foundation and the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health.