A Novel Playbook for Pragmatic Trial Operations to Monitor and Evaluate Ambient Artificial Intelligence in Clinical...

Ambient artificial intelligence (AI) offers the potential to reduce documentation burden and improve efficiency through clinical note generation. Widespread adoption, however, remains limited due to challenges in electronic health record (EHR) integration, coding compliance, and real-world evaluation. This study introduces a framework and protocols to design, monitor, and deploy ambient AI within routine care.

We launched an implementation phase to build technical workflows, establish governance, and inform a pragmatic randomized trial. A bidirectional governance model linked operations and research through multidisciplinary workgroups that incorporated the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework. Integration into the EHR used Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), and a real-time dashboard tracked utilization and documentation accuracy. To monitor drift, a difference-in-differences analysis was applied to three process metrics: time in notes, work outside work, and utilization. Audits of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) compliance were performed using an internally developed large language model (LLM), the validity of which was assessed through correlation with certified professional coders.

Ambient AI utilization, measured as the proportion of eligible clinical notes completed using the system, had a weighted median of 65.4% (interquartile range, 50.6 to 84.0%). Iterative improvement cycles targeted task-specific adoption. A brief workflow issue related to a note template change initially reduced ICD-10 documentation accuracy from 79% (95% confidence interval [CI], 72 to 86%) to 35% (95% CI, 28 to 42%); accuracy returned to baseline after note template redesign and user training. The internally developed LLM coder achieved a strong correlation with professional coders (Pearson's r=0.97). The trial enrolled 66 providers across eight specialties, powered at 90% for the primary outcome of provider well-being.

We provide a publicly available framework and protocols to help safely implement ambient AI in health care. Innovations include an embedded pragmatic trial design, human factors engineering, compliance-driven feedback loops, and real-time monitoring to support deployment, ensuring fidelity before initiation of the clinical trial. (Funded by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and the National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Award; NIH/ NCATS UL1TR002737; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT06517082.).