Barriers and opportunities of scaling ambient AI scribes for clinical documentation across diverse healthcare settings

npj Digital Medicine 2026 Open access

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Authors: Joshua W. Ohde, Arjun Thompson, Zhenghong Liu, Lauren M. Rost, Joshua Overgaard, Jonathan Yue En Tan, Shauna M. Overgaard, Raymond Francis Sarmiento, Yuhe Ke, Jonathan Chong Kai Liew, Jasmine Chiat Ling Ong, Nan Liu
DOI: 10.1038/s41746-026-02554-0
Cited by: 10
References: 46

Abstract

Ambient AI scribes are reshaping clinical documentation and clinician-patient interactions. These tools were initially tested in low-acuity ambulatory settings. However, their deployment in diverse care settings raises new challenges. This perspective examines the clinical, technical, and ethical implications of ambient AI scribes in diverse settings. With thoughtful integration, ambient AI scribes can evolve into valuable assistive tools to clinicians. Responsible use of these tools can improve interactions with patients, enhance safety, reduce clinician burden, and improve care continuity.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Electronic Health Records Systems Healthcare Technology and Patient Monitoring Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education

Publication details

Journal / source
npj Digital Medicine
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
9
Issue
1
Publication date
23 March 2026
Language
EN