AI tool boosts ED productivity in Hawke's Bay

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

Hawke's Bay’s emergency department (ED) has seen significant productivity gains following a pilot of an AI-powered medical scribe, with early results showing clinicians seeing an average of one extra patient per shift.

The trial of Heidi Health AI Medical Scribe involved 10 ED clinicians across two months and has resulted in improvements in both productivity and staff wellbeing.

Chief medical officer, Health New Zealand Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay, Benjamin Pearson will be presenting on the findings with ED clinical director Simon Harger at Digital Health Week NZ this November in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

"We have seen a significant improvement with on average, an extra patient per shift seen by each clinician," Pearson says. 

"Particularly the RMOs and our nurse practitioners, who in some cases are seeing an extra three or four per shift."

The pilot was designed to address government health targets around increased productivity, and time to first specialist appointments, without compromising staff wellbeing in an already pressured system, he says.

Trial participants included four resident medical officers, four senior medical officers, and two nurse practitioners and patients had to consent before they could use the tool.

The AI-powered scribe creates clinical notes by recording and transcribing consultations, which clinicians then review and copy into their clinical portal. Pearson says this means  staff can see multiple patients without worrying about documentation, as they can write up the notes later.

"It streamlines their work. They can go and see three or four patients in a row without having to worry about, ‘what did I say to that last patient?’," Pearson explained.

Nurse practitioners have reported being able to take proper tea room breaks for the first time, and the AI tool has also improved documentation in resuscitation situations, where it records timestamps and captures all conversations happening during critical care.

"The average medical registrar, when they come to ED, takes 40 minutes to see a patient and then another 30 - 40 minutes to write the plan. Heidi potentially could zap that right down to 5-10 minutes," Pearson says.

Another benefit is that the tool has standardised note quality across clinicians, and improved patient communication as doctors have to verbally describe what they are doing for the AI to pick it up, he explains

The programme is now in phase two with 12 more clinicians across outpatient services.

Pearson says that rather than asking staff to add extra patients to clinics, they are asking that they complete four additional first specialist appointments per month through time-saving with the AI tool.

Phase three is planned to scale up the technology across the entire emergency department.

Pearson and Harger will present the full results of the AI scribe pilot at Digital Health Week 2025 in Ōtautahi Christchurch this November 24-27. The pilot is being supported by Hendrix Health, Heidi's implementation partner in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Image: Chief medical officer, Health New Zealand Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay, Benjamin Pearson

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