Keith M. Nord, MD, Adds New Patients and Finishes on Time with NextGen Ambient Assist

The Challenge

Keith M. Nord, MD, an Orthopedic Hand Surgeon with Sports Orthopedics & Spine, has had a fast-paced career so far in Jackson, Tennessee. As the sole orthopedic hand surgeon in the area, his patient load quickly became overwhelming, with around 45 patients per day. Without the support of a scribe, Dr. Nord found himself spending excessive time on documentation, dictating notes for up to an hour after clinic hours, and sacrificing valuable time with his family. This led to early signs of burnout, and Dr. Nord decided to take action.

After seeing an email about NextGen Ambient Assist, he reached out and began to trial the system. Intrigued by the AI-generated notes, he discovered time savings, accuracy, convenience, and better patient connection for himself. Soon, NextGen Ambient Assist was integrated into his practice, and his workflow was changed for the better.

The Solution

Since Dr. Nord discovered NextGen Ambient Assist, the ambient listening solution that seamlessly integrates with NextGen Enterprise EHR, note-taking has been a breeze. NextGen Ambient Assist allows physicians to use their mobile devices to capture patient encounters as they occur, eliminating the need for an expensive scribe, manual note-taking, or lengthy post-visit documentation. “Ambient Assist has been a game-changer for me. It’s almost as good as having an in-person scribe for about one-tenth the price,” said Dr. Nord.

The documentation process occurs within the NextGen Mobile application, where Dr. Nord can also see his schedule, act on tasks, view charts, message, prescribe, and more. After the visit ends, the note is generated in under a minute and is already in a structured SOAP format. Clicking “Send to EHR” sends the note directly into the patient’s chart, a feature that sets this tool apart from the rest.

Dr. Nord enjoys the relief of not needing to remember every detail of every encounter. He knows that there’s a record of each encounter and that the note is almost completely done by the time he exits the exam room. Due to these time savings, he has started adding on five extra patients per day. “Within a couple of weeks, Ambient Assist had already covered the monthly fee just in the extra patient load I’m able to see in a day. It’s more than paid for itself,” said Dr. Nord. “But not only that, I think my family’s happier, my wife’s happier because I get to come home early.”

To test his productivity, Dr. Nord timed his new workflow. For example, a recent visit lasted six minutes for the encounter, 30 seconds to dictate the x-ray findings, and about 30 seconds to generate the note. In the meantime, he had his desktop open and put in charges. Next, he spent under a minute on editing the documentation before sending the note to the patient’s chart. All in all, it took well under 10 minutes.

Since he adopted NextGen Ambient Assist, Dr. Nord has conducted between 1,500 and 2,000 visits. He can’t see documentation without it. “I used to have a massive stack of notes that had to get done, and now I don’t have that. Now I see my last patient around 4:30pm, use Ambient Assist, tie up loose ends with my nurse, and am out of there before 5:00pm. It’s absolutely changed my sense of well-being and honestly prevented burnout,” said Dr. Nord.

Patient data security is of top concern for Dr. Nord. With NextGen Ambient Assist, audio and transcripts are never stored or saved to ensure total privacy and security. Dr. Nord feels this makes it more secure than other documentation options he has seen because it stays in the EHR, never going to a third-party transcription service, or involving another person in the room. He has full confidence in the safety of using NextGen Ambient Assist and has never had a patient ask about it.

The Results

Dr. Nord’s job satisfaction soared as a result of the efficiency gains achieved with NextGen Ambient Assist. With less time spent on tedious tasks, he focuses more on meaningful patient care, resulting in improved patient interactions and outcomes. By increasing his daily patient load, Dr. Nord earns more income and is more available to his many patients. Additionally, the reduction in burnout risk contributes to his overall wellness. “NextGen Ambient Assist is a no-brainer. I think you’ll be shocked at how efficient and good it is,” said Dr. Nord. “Absolutely hands down you should try it; it’s well worth the investment.”