#United States #Nabla #Iowa #AI Assistant #McFarland Clinic

Enhancing Patient Care with AI at McFarland Clinic

In a transformative step towards improving healthcare delivery, McFarland Clinic, the largest physician-owned multi-specialty clinic in Iowa, has adopted Nabla’s Ambient AI Assistant. This innovative technology aims to ease documentation burdens for clinicians, enabling them to dedicate more time to patient care.

The Burden of Documentation

In recent years, a significant challenge in the healthcare industry has been the amount of time clinicians spend on electronic health record (EHR) documentation. Research shows that for every hour doctors spend engaging with patients, they invest nearly two additional hours on administrative tasks and documentation. This has led to increasing levels of burnout among healthcare providers, often forcing them to work late into the night—coined "pajama time". This trend affects not only the doctors but also impacts patient care quality, as it detracts from the valuable time spent with patients.

Implementation of Nabla

Nabla’s AI assistant integrates seamlessly into McFarland Clinic’s existing Epic EHR system and has been rolled out across 12 specialties following a successful pilot program. The initial implementation included 70 of the clinic's 360 providers, and the positive results prompted a broader application across the organization. Clinicians in fields ranging from general medicine to cardiology have begun using Nabla for real-time documentation, which allows them to streamline their workloads effectively.

Improving Clinician-Patient Engagement

The efficiency gains from using Nabla's AI technology have been remarkable. On average, clinicians report saving up to two hours a day on documentation tasks. As a result, this not only reduces the need for after-hours charting but also significantly enhances the clinician-patient relationship. Andrew Perry, CEO of McFarland Clinic, noted, “As part of our commitment to provider well-being, we're investing in tools that ease the pressure on providers and strengthen the patient relationship. Nabla is helping us do both by making documentation more efficient.”

Positive Reception from Clinicians

The real success of Nabla can be seen in the feedback from the providers. Dr. Maria Olberding from McFarland Clinic articulated the impact of this technology on her professional life: “Nabla has alleviated an enormous amount of burnout for me. This has allowed me to spend time at home with my family that used to get sucked up by charting. This will allow me to postpone retirement for a few more years.”

This sentiment is echoed across the clinic, with 80% of clinicians from the pilot opting to continue using the assistant after it concluded.

Widespread Adoption

The adoption of Nabla by McFarland Clinic is part of a growing trend among healthcare facilities to utilize AI-driven solutions to combat clinician burnout and improve operational efficiency. With more than 100 organizations utilizing Nabla across the country, the technology has supported over 12 million clinical encounters, proving its worth in alleviating administrative burdens and enhancing patient engagement.

The Future of Healthcare with AI

Nabla's success highlights a significant shift in how health systems are beginning to view technology’s role in easing workloads for providers and enhancing care delivery. The AI assistant not only reduces the time spent on paperwork but also promotes a more patient-centered approach to care.

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Conclusion

The partnership between Nabla and McFarland Clinic represents a promising future where clinicians can return to what they do best: providing quality patient care. This collaboration sets a benchmark for other healthcare establishments striving to improve clinician well-being and efficiency through innovative technology.