Document resource
Background Electronic health record (EHR) use contributes to clinician burnout and poor patient-clinician interaction. Ambient AI documentation platforms can alleviate this by efficiently capturing and organizing clinical data—streamlining workflows, reducing EHR interaction time, and maximizing direct patient care. We therefore evaluated the performance of an ambient voice technology (AVT) across diverse NHS clinical settings.Methods A non-randomised, multi-centre, within-subject, pre-post intervention trial of AVT was conducted from May 2024-April 2025 across a diverse range of clinical settings. Objective (timed elements of consultations) and subjective (clinician, patient and parent/carer surveys) data were collected. Findings 165 clinicians participated, with 16,470 patient AVT encounters across 9 sites. There was a 23.5% increase in direct care and an 8.2% reduction in the total appointment time with AVT. Clinician feedback indicated significantly more positive scores with AVT on questions related to: time and attention given to patients, how distracting, stressful and disruptive computer tasks were, satisfaction with care given and with effort and time taken to edit/check clinic notes and letters. There was a significant reduction in the total NASA cognitive load score. Patients’ and parents’/carers’ comments indicated improved interactions with clinicians when AVT was used, with a high level of acceptance.Interpretation This work has shown that the NHS can scientifically assess and safely scale technology to deliver tangible improvements in care quality, clinician experience, and system efficiency. Customisation, accessibility, and flexibility remain essential for scalability across the diverse landscapes of healthcare practice.Acknowledgements for Funding or Support This study was funded by a grant from NHS England (London) Frontline Digitisation. The AVT tool was provided free of charge. The GOSH DRIVE Unit receives support from the NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre and from the NIHR Healthtech Research Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health. GOSH has entered a collaborative partnership with Tortus AI.