Ambient AI scribes reduce clinician burnout in two major U.S. systems

A study applying ambient documentation technology, a form of AI that listens to patient visits and drafts draft notes for physician review, is associated with meaningful reductions in physician burnout and improved wellbeing in two large U.S. health systems. In surveys of more than 1,400 clinicians at Mass General Brigham in Massachusetts and Emory Healthcare in Georgia, doctors who used AI scribes reported substantial relief from documentation burdens and greater engagement with patients, with results persisting across several weeks of use.

The research tracked clinicians who adopted ambient documentation technology for at least six weeks, assessing burnout and wellbeing at defined intervals. At Mass General Brigham, burnout prevalence dropped from about 52.6 percent before onboarding to 30.7 percent after 84 days, with an early decline already evident by the 42-day mark. In Emory, the share of clinicians reporting a positive impact on wellbeing rose markedly, from roughly 1.6 percent before adoption to 32.3 percent after 60 days. While response rates to the surveys were modest, the data consistently pointed toward meaningful benefits for those who used the technology.