Evaluating the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Clinical Documentation Efficiency and Accuracy Across Clinical Settings: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies (natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition (SR), and machine learning (ML)) can transform clinical documentation in healthcare. This scoping review evaluates the impact of AI on the accuracy and efficiency of clinical documentation across various clinical settings (hospital wards, emergency departments, and outpatient clinics). We found 176 articles by applying a specific search string on Ovid. To ensure a more comprehensive search process, we also performed manual searches on PubMed and BMJ, examining any relevant references we encountered. In this way, we were able to add 46 more articles, resulting in 222 articles in total. After removing duplicates, 208 articles were screened. This led to the inclusion of 36 studies. We were mostly interested in articles discussing the impact of AI technologies, such as NLP, ML, and SR, and their accuracy and efficiency in clinical documentation. To ensure that our research reflected recent work, we focused our efforts on studies published in 2019 and beyond. This criterion was pilot-tested beforehand and necessary adjustments were made. After comparing screened articles independently, we ensured inter-rater reliability (Cohen's kappa=1.0), and data extraction was completed on these 36 articles. We conducted this study according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This scoping review shows improvements in clinical documentation using AI technologies, with an emphasis on accuracy and efficiency. There was a reduction in clinician workload, with the streamlining of the documentation processes. Subsequently, doctors also had more time for patient care. However, these articles also raised various challenges surrounding the use of AI in clinical settings. These challenges included the management of errors, legal liability, and integration of AI with electronic health records (EHRs). There were also some ethical concerns regarding the use of AI with patient data. AI shows massive potential for improving the day-to-day work life of doctors across various clinical settings. However, more research is needed to address the many challenges associated with its use. Studies demonstrate improved accuracy and efficiency in clinical documentation with the use of AI. With better regulatory frameworks, implementation, and research, AI can significantly reduce the burden placed on doctors by documentation.