Our patients often share very private things with us. Sometimes they come to us with problems they haven’t discussed with anyone, not even their closest loved ones. So, it has always felt a little wrong to be taking notes instead of fully engaging with them while they talk.
Taking notes means we’re looking at a computer screen instead of at them. But we need a full and accurate record of what is said and what course of action we decide so we know what’s working and what’s not and what to try next. So, until recently, that has meant us looking at a screen and patients looking at our backs while we type.
Well, we’re excited to announce we have found a tool that cuts back on our need to take notes, and we hope it will make our conversations with patients even better.
It’s called Freed AI, and it’s a software platform that works like this: Pulled up on our exam room computers, it transcribes everything we say and stores it in the proper format. Well, not EVERYTHING we say because it magically filters out the non-medical stuff, like when we chit-chat about your job or our kids or the weather. At the end of the visit, we have a full record of what happened, and we are hopeful we can soon automatically email you a copy for your records.
Freed AI is 100% HIPAA compliant, so your private medical information is safe. Trust us when we say we take that very seriously and spent a long time investigating this service. While we won’t be entirely free from the computer, we’re already seeing better one-on-ones with our patients.
Did you know our own Dr. Green has studied medical information systems? And she’s a fan of Freed AI.
“This tool has the incredible ability to capture all of the elements of a patient’s story, and I appreciate the ability to recall every single detail of my discussion with the patient when reviewing their chart,” she said. “It frees me from the pressure of documenting our discussions to keep the focus on the patient’s concerns.”
Dr. Zelasko agrees.
“We are really excited to bring AI into our office with this platform,” she said. “We are already seeing the benefit of less screen-facing time, which helps us build better trust and connections with our patients.”
Freed AI was created by the frustrated family members of physicians who were having to spend their nights and weekends “charting.” Paperwork is not what any of us entered medicine to do. This frees us up to focus more on helping people, which is where our heart is.
In short, prepare yourself for a lot more eye contact during your next visit. ☺