KLAS: Ambient AI tool delivers measurable ROI for health systems

Health systems are increasingly adopting AI-powered ambient speech tools to reduce administrative burden, bolster cost savings and increase efficiency. These tools have shown promise for reducing EHR burnout and improving clinician well-being. KLAS Research put one ambient speech solution, Suki, to the test by analyzing its return on investment (ROI) for a small sample of healthcare organizations that have adopted it.  

The KLAS report, part of an ongoing ROI validation research series, evaluated the real-world quantitative and qualitative ROI achieved by three large health systems: FMOL Health, McLeod Health and Rush University System for Health. Each of the health systems independently sought to adopt an ambient speech solution to reduce clinicians' documentation burden and achieve measurable financial and operational impact.  

All three health systems have more than 500 beds and use Epic's EHR. They also all adopted Suki, an ambient speech tool that claims to reduce burnout by 60% and note-taking time by 41%. 

Overall, all three health systems experienced time savings, improved E/M coding, reduced documentation burden and increased financial gain. 

FMOL Health implemented the tool across more than a dozen specialties. Its clinicians reported reduced cognitive load, faster note-taking and better work-life balance. FMOL Health reported a 21% decrease in the time clinicians spend on notes, a 43% decrease in the number of notes open for more than seven days and increased coding accuracy. The health system saw a 65% decrease in after-hours note completion and a 6.5% increase in established Level 4 patient visits, resulting in higher revenue. 

At McLeod Health, the use of Suki resulted in improved patient experience metrics, including a 6.3% increase in provider trust. McLeod Health saw a 26.8% reduction in the time clinicians spend on notes, leading to 3.6 hours of provider time saved per month during the pilot. 

McLeod utilized a self-onboarding strategy and selected physician champions to provide testimonials, which encouraged buy-in from providers.  

Financially, McLeod saw a $2,600 increase in revenue per provider per month tied to its use of Suki. 

Rush University System for Health, the largest of the three health systems by annual patient revenue ($3 billion), had previously implemented a different ambient solution that was paired with help from a human scribe. When Rush rolled out Suki, it quickly scaled the tool across the organization, starting with volunteers and expanding to more than 180 active users. 

Rush University System for Health achieved reduced cognitive load during clinical encounters, a 5.5% increase in same-day chart closure and a $178 increase in monthly revenue per user. 

FMOL Health, McLeod Health and Rush University System for Health all said they plan to expand Suki to other workflows and care settings. 

The experiences of these three health systems demonstrated Suki's value in balancing clinician workload and saving time and money. However, the report noted that thoughtful implementation is key to success when adopting any new health IT technologies. 

Specifically, the report stressed the importance of selecting a responsive, high-integrity vendor partner, designing a well-structured pilot and solidifying governance structures from the start. With proper implementation, ambient speech tools like Suki can help healthcare organizations improve clinician and patient satisfaction as well as yield financial and operational gains. 

Jill Hughes has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021.