Getting clinical research ready for ambient digital scribes

About a year ago, I logged into MyChart the day before my annual wellness visit and saw a new consent form. My doctor wanted to record our visit so artificial intelligence could create notes and update my medical record. I agreed. Just hours after my visit ended, a comprehensive, accurate visit summary appeared in MyChart.

As a career clinical trialist, I immediately wondered: What if this tool were used for trial visits? Could it enable a breakthrough in research or patient engagement? How will clinical research adapt to what could be a “new normal” in medical documentation?

Driven by a crisis of clinician burnout, ambient digital scribes like the one my doctor used are being rapidly adopted. Studies suggest these digital scribes can reduce documentation burden, improve clinician efficiency, and potentially enhance the patient experience. By digitizing conversations in real time, these scribes open possibilities beyond routine care, particularly in clinical research and trials.