Recently, Artesia General Hospital (AGH), a rural hospital providing comprehensive care across southeastern New Mexico, announced the full integration of Microsoft Dragon Copilot’s ambient documentation into its TruBridge EHR (Electronic Health Record) clinical workflow.

Physicians have reported a 50-75 percent reduction in documentation time. Another noted benefit is that the tool translates non-English conversations instantly while drafting clinical notes. Healthcare Innovation spoke with Peter Jewell, M.D., a family medicine physician at Artesia General Hospital, to learn more.

Dr. Jewell noted that, for a rural hospital, AGH is lucky in the number of specialists it has, including orthopedic surgeons, a urologist, and an endocrinologist.

Regarding Microsoft Dragon Copilot’s ambient documentation tool, Dr. Jewell observed that it weeds through the junk, the small talk. “It takes it to the next level.”

The organization is moving away from a fee-for-service model towards a more outcome-based approach.

In the past, patients would complain about not being heard, as the physician would look at a screen and type notes during the consultation. With the ambient listening tool, Dr. Jewell explained, he can be more attentive and observe the patient’s body language to see whether they understand what is being said. That, he said, is the biggest advantage of using the system. Plus, the cutting down on time. Charts are being finished quicker. “It’s nice to get home and be at home.”

Having the system embedded into the EHR has also allowed for more efficiency, the team conveyed.

Patients have not expressed any wariness about the physicians using the system. “I think people are starting to accept that AI is here to stay.”

Regarding future improvements, the team expressed excitement about using the tool to place orders, such as prescriptions. “If they take it to that next step… I can spend more time doing a physical exam,” Dr. Jewell said.

As for advice for other healthcare leaders, Dr. Jewell said, "Honestly, if they were friends of mine: you've got to give this a try." It’s going to make life so much easier.