Nuance Upgrades Note-taking Capabilities of PowerScribe Platform for Radiologists

Nuance Communications has improved the ambient recording capabilities of its PowerScribe One platform. PowerScribe is geared toward radiologists, and allows them to use their voice to dictate notes without taking their attention away from a patient (or a patient image).

The platform’s Ambient Mode AI has now been refined to support completely free-form dictation. In plain terms, that means that PowerScribe will listen to everything that a radiologist says during a session, and then slot each bit of information into the right spot on a form to generate a more structured report. The radiologist is free to follow their train of thought, and PowerScribe will automatically organize everything in a comprehensive fashion to make sure the radiologist and other doctors can refer back to that report should it become necessary.

Nuance’s ambient AI also analyzes the text to search for common errors, thereby improving the quality of the report and ensuring that it meets the expected clinical guidelines. A planned Auto Impression utility will provide follow-up recommendations based on the report, and should be added to the PowerScribe platform later in the year.

The Ambient AI runs in the Microsoft Azure cloud, which is to be expected in the wake of Nuance’s recent acquisition by the tech giant. The company is hoping that the enhanced PowerScribe will reduce burnout for radiologists who are dealing with high patient volume. On that front, Nuance noted that the demand for imaging services in some areas is 25 percent beyond the available number of radiologists, and that more than a third of imaging professionals are now experiencing some form of burnout as a result.

“Ensuring our radiologists have the best and most efficient diagnostic reporting system is critical to our organization’s success and vital to patient care,” said Mass General Brigham Chief Data Science Officer and Radiology Vice Chairman Keith Dreyer. “We are excited to leverage the full array of ambient functionality, including auto impression generation, so we can accelerate care delivery and help combat radiologist burnout.”

The PowerScribe Ambient Mode leverages the same voice technology featured in Nuance’s Dragon Ambient eXperience, which is intended for use in clinical settings. Nuance previously provided PowerScribe services for Providence.

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March 11, 2022 – by Eric Weiss