One CEO thinks how environmental scribes can differentiate themselves
Provider organizations continue to adopt artificial intelligence tools in their departments and clinics, and environmental documentation startups are faced with the challenge of standing out in a field crowded with line-marking solutions.
According to one executive in the field, the next phase of environmental documentation goes beyond simple transcription and uses access records and context to do useful work such as coding intake and care coordination. Speaking at the Reuters Total Health Conference in Chicago, Heidi Health CEO Tom Kelly said the real opportunity lies in turning ambient AI from a passive listener into an active assistant that actually completes tasks before and after a visit.
He noted that Heidi focused on “the experience of resolution.” Kelly explained that the company's goal is to provide specific solutions to specific problems, such as high numbers of unanswered patient calls or incomplete post-visit check-ins, rather than building a general AI platform that tries to do it all.
“We have organizations starting to use Heidi for pre-visit conversations about scheduling and reception. It will bring up things like, ‘Why did you come in today? Questions like “Do you have insurance?” or “Do you have insurance?” “And say things like, 'Hey, this practice only covers these types of visits,' or 'These are the fees you might get,'” he said.
Kelly asserts that in addition to automating efforts, long-term winners will provide tools that clinicians will actually enjoy using and rely on daily.
Heidi's technology is designed to be simple and requires only a few clicks, he added. It allows clinicians to assign tasks directly to Heidi with minimal setup, with the goal of driving adoption from the bottom up rather than through top-down CIO directives.
“If the value prop is that clinicians are fascinated by the tool and love it — more like Doximity, OpenEvidence, Heidi — that's where we want it. Sure, it works well and it's integrated, but actually these doctors are using it like an Iron Man suit to practice. That's where I want to be,” Kelly said.
Kelly believes that the goal for healthcare AI startups should be to sell a product that not only works well with electronic medical records, but also serves as a highly effective assistant for clinicians and healthcare provider organizations.
For him, technology must be both practical and lovable to gain lasting adoption.
Photo: Dan, Getty Images
