Suki, a virtual assistant pioneer, is teaming up with Premier, Inc., a healthcare improvement company, to offer Premier’s extensive hospital network access to Suki’s innovative platform. This partnership will allow Premier members to benefit from special deal terms and pricing to utilize Suki for their organizations. Suki’s software offers clinicians services such as ambient dictation and scribing, assistance with coding tasks, and the ability to answer questions. Importantly, Suki can seamlessly integrate into existing EHR systems, streamlining clinical documentation for clinicians.
Healthcare administrative and documentation tasks are known to contribute to burnout and attrition among healthcare professionals. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that physicians spend nearly 1.77 hours daily on documentation tasks outside of regular office hours, with 58% of respondents feeling that the time spent was inappropriate and reduced time spent with patients. By utilizing Suki, primary care specialists experienced a 72% reduction in median documentation time per note, resulting in saving approximately 3.3 hours per week per clinician. Dr. Steven Waldren of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) emphasized that virtual assistant tools like Suki significantly reduce documentation time and burden while providing more flexibility and freedom for physicians.
The race to find solutions to alleviate administrative burdens faced by clinicians is ongoing, with numerous technology giants and startups vying for a solution. However, effectively automating or adopting solutions for complex documentation tasks in healthcare is challenging. Privacy concerns, security breaches, and the lack of actual value delivered to clinicians by many technology solutions often hinder adoption by healthcare organizations. Punit Soni, Founder and CEO of Suki, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing physicians while developing products. Soni’s vision for Suki is to create a product built specifically for physicians to make a tangible impact in healthcare settings.
As companies like Suki continue to expand and improve their technologies, a focus on privacy, security, affordability, and providing tangible value to stakeholders remains crucial. Technology in the healthcare industry has become increasingly prevalent, making it essential for companies like Suki to prioritize these key aspects in order to truly impact the next generation of healthcare delivery. The work in this field is ongoing, with the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and reduce the burden on clinicians, ultimately leading to better patient care.
