An independent study conducted by OntarioMD has revealed positive results for the use of AI-powered scribe technology in healthcare, showing a significant reduction in the time physicians spend on administrative tasks. Three vendors were selected to participate and provide technical support to the primary care providers (PCPs), including WELL Health Technologies Corp.’s AI Voice (WAIV), which achieved a notable impact on healthcare workflows by reducing documentation time by over 70%.
The study involved 152 PCPs across Ontario and highlighted the growing recognition of AI scribes as a valuable tool in modern healthcare. According to the findings, the average time savings per patient encounter amounted to 3.5 minutes, translating to approximately two hours of administrative work saved per day. This allowed physicians to dedicate more time to patient care, a critical component in improving patient outcomes.
Beyond the time saved, the study revealed that 82.3% of PCPs were eager to continue using AI scribe technology long-term, citing improved efficiency and reduced after-hours documentation. These findings underscore the potential for AI tools to alleviate one of the major challenges facing healthcare providers today: administrative burden. With physicians spending up to 19 hours a week on paperwork, AI scribe technology is emerging as a critical innovation in addressing physician burnout and improving work-life balance. Over half of the participants reported reduced stress and burnout following the integration of AI scribes into their practices.
Healthcare Industry’s Shift Toward AI-Driven Solutions
WELL Health’s AI Voice solution is not the only innovation in the AI scribe space. Other key players, such as Nuance Communications and Suki, have also introduced AI-powered scribe technologies designed to streamline clinical documentation and support physicians. Nuance’s Dragon Medical One, for example, integrates voice recognition AI into electronic medical records (EMR) systems to allow physicians to dictate notes directly, while Suki’s digital assistant leverages natural language processing to automatically generate clinical notes from physician-patient interactions. These solutions aim to enhance practice efficiency and improve the quality of physician-patient interaction by reducing time spent on paperwork.
OntarioMD’s study reinforces the value AI scribes bring to the healthcare ecosystem, particularly in primary care settings. The majority of participants (73%) stated that the benefits of AI scribes outweighed any inconveniences. The technology enabled greater focus during patient encounters, especially for complex cases, with 78.9% of PCPs indicating more time was available for in-depth patient care. Additionally, 58.6% of physicians reported higher job satisfaction due to a reduction in after-hours documentation.
Impact on Physician Workflows and Future Innovations
In response to these findings, Hamed Shahbazi, CEO of WELL Health, emphasized the transformative potential of AI tools in healthcare delivery. “By reducing administrative burdens, AI scribes free up valuable time for physicians to focus on what truly matters — patient care,” Shahbazi stated. WELL’s next goal is to further integrate its AI Voice solution with EMR systems to create a seamless workflow experience. The company plans to enhance its AI product suite to support more areas of healthcare, including disease detection and clinical research.
OntarioMD’s CEO, Robert Fox, underscored the importance of such innovations in creating capacity within primary care practices, saying, “This technology is helping restore physicians’ joy in medicine by alleviating the administrative load and allowing them to concentrate on their patients.”
As healthcare providers face increasing pressures from rising patient loads and documentation demands, AI-driven solutions are becoming an essential component in optimizing physician time and improving care delivery. WELL Health’s commitment to expanding its digital health offerings highlights the broader industry trend toward adopting AI technologies to enhance both provider efficiency and patient outcomes.
With the adoption of AI scribes on the rise and ongoing advancements in digital health, the future of healthcare delivery appears increasingly reliant on technology-driven innovations aimed at reducing cognitive load and enhancing clinical workflows.
