Carbon Health announced the launch of hands-free charting — an AI-enabled notes assistant — in its proprietary EHR across each of its clinics and providers. Carbon Health’s EHR (electronic health records) platform is the first to deploy native AI-assisted charting at scale.
With the patent-pending technology, Carbon Health has developed a way for providers to generate comprehensive and accurate medical notes more efficiently with the press of a record button. Built directly into the Carbon Health EHR and designed to fit seamlessly into a provider’s existing workflow, the integration saves time and enhances the patient-doctor connection. Without a screen between them and their patients, doctors can focus more time on care and less on typing.
“The rapid development and deployment of hands-free charting advances Carbon Health's AI-enabled EHR and shows how quickly AI can have a real-world impact on care delivery,” said Carbon Health CEO Eren Bali. “Our vertically integrated model of providers, clinics, and software makes our system uniquely positioned to leverage AI technologies like GPT-4.”
Early data shows immediate benefits for providers
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Efficiency: On average, the system generates a complete medical chart in less than 4 minutes compared to 16 minutes for a manual chart
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Accuracy: 88% of the AI-generated text is accepted by the provider without edits
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Completeness: Charts are 2.5x more detailed than manual entry
Hands-free charting starts with patient consent at the beginning of a visit. Once consent is obtained, with a simple press of a record button in the Carbon Health EHR, audio is captured and transcribed using AWS Transcribe Medical. The transcript is then combined with other patient information such as demographics, vitals, lab results, and manually added notes from the provider. Within minutes, a visit summary is auto-generated in the patient’s chart, allowing a provider to review, adjust, and finalize it as the medical decision-maker, all within the EHR.
“It's tough to imagine my shifts without this technology,” said Dr. Caesar Djavaherian, Carbon Health Chief Clinical Innovation Officer. “Carbon Health’s hands-free charting feature provides a level of detail and accuracy that we could never achieve with manual notes. I'm never going back.”
In a pilot test, a Carbon Health clinic in San Francisco, CA, saw a 30% increase in patients compared to typical visit volume, without added stress on the team, thanks to the use of hands-free charting on the backend. This increase in throughput without an increase in administrative burden shows what’s possible when AI is seamlessly built into a team's day-to-day workflows.
“It’s about eye contact over iPads,” said Bali. “For too long, providers have had to choose between connecting with their patients and taking notes. That will no longer be the case at Carbon Health clinics. We’re unlocking the ability for clinics to meet the needs of the community without trade-offs like burnout or exhaustion.”
About Carbon Health
Carbon Health is a modern healthcare company that offers in-person and virtual care for easier everyday health. By combining custom technology with expert care, Carbon Health enables patients to establish a direct relationship with an integrated team, monitor and manage their health on the go, and access care when and where they need it.
Building on the success of its nationwide urgent care network, Carbon Health treats the full spectrum of needs – from acute issues to chronic conditions, as well as ongoing physical and mental health. The company is also expanding into value-based care through work with employers, health plans, health systems, and other ecosystem partners.