Ambient Voice Technology in Same Day Emergency Care: Enhancing Documentation Efficiency and Patient Flow

Efficient documentation is essential in Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) settings to maintain smooth patient flow. Manual typing, although reliable, is time-consuming and can negatively impact clinical efficiency.

This Service Improvement Pilot study evaluates the impact of Heidi Health's Ambient Voice Technology on documentation efficiency, clinician workload, and patient satisfaction during clinical consultations.

An observational analysis was conducted on 100 case notes in an SDEC setting. Documentation times using Heidi Health's Ambient Voice Technology were recorded, while manual documentation times were estimated based on word counts and typical typing speeds. Clinician feedback was gathered on usability and administrative burden, and patient feedback focused on the consultation experience.

Ambient Voice Technology reduced documentation time by 85.8%, saving an average of 5.27 minutes (equivalent to 5 minutes 16 seconds) per case compared to manual typing (p < 0.001). Clinicians reported high usability scores (mean = 9.1/10), reduced administrative burden, and improved consultation flow. Additionally, 90% of patients reported an enhanced consultation experience.

Ambient Voice Technology significantly improves documentation efficiency, reduces clinician workload, and enhances patient satisfaction in SDEC settings. Future research should explore its application across a variety of clinical environments.