5 ways AI is changing healthcare

AI tools are personalizing office visits, says Dr. Jorge Scheirer, a physician and the chief medical information officer at St. Luke's University Health Network in Pennsylvania. He and his colleagues use Microsoft Dragon Copilot, the healthcare industry's first unified voice AI assistant, to focus fully on patients rather than computer screens.

Scheirer can query charts ahead of appointments for insights and reminders, and then the system securely records, transcribes and summarizes - sometimes catching pertinent comments he hadn't heard. It pulls up any health records or vetted medical resources he asks for, helps find the right medical codes, and drafts after-visit notes and referrals for him to proof and sign.

"It's uncanny how good a job it does," Scheirer says.

Dragon Copilot's time savings also alleviate clinician burnout, he says. Scheirer often worked until 10:30 p.m. to complete regulatory documentation. Now patients get their after-visit notes sooner, and he's home in time for dinner with his wife.