Orlando VA Health Care System to Implement Ambient Scribe Technology to Enhance Veteran Care

Ambient Scribe is a secure, artificial intelligence-supported software that assists doctors and nurses by listening to clinical conversations during appointments and generating draft medical notes in real time. The technology helps reduce the time clinicians spend typing or completing documentation after visits, allowing for more face-to-face interaction and meaningful communication with Veterans.

Use of Ambient Scribe will be transparent and Veteran-centered. Veterans will be informed when the technology is being used and may ask questions or decline its use at any time. The presence of Ambient Scribe does not change how care is delivered, medical decisions are made, or how Veterans interact with their care teams.

“The purpose of Ambient Scribe is to enhance, not replace, the relationship between Veterans and their health care teams,” said Dr. Teri Carper, Chief of Connected Care for the Orlando VA Health Care System. “By easing the documentation burden on our clinicians, we can give Veterans our full attention during appointments while still maintaining accurate and timely medical records.”

Ambient Scribe listens to the conversation during a clinical appointment to assist with documentation. The software is designed to identify and summarize information relevant to the Veteran’s care. All documentation generated by Ambient Scribe is reviewed, edited, and finalized by the provider.

Protecting Veteran privacy remains a top priority. Ambient Scribe operates within VA’s secure systems and complies with all federal privacy and security requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Information captured during appointments is safeguarded and used solely for the purpose of supporting clinical documentation.

Veterans can expect the same high-quality care they receive today, with the added benefit of more engaged interactions during their visits. Staff members will receive training on proper use of the technology to ensure consistency, professionalism, and respect for Veteran preferences.

The Orlando VA Health Care System will continue to evaluate and refine the use of Ambient Scribe as part of its commitment to innovation, efficiency, and delivering exceptional care to Veterans.

For questions about Ambient Scribe, Veterans are encouraged to speak with their health care team during their appointment.

For more information, please visit: VA Orlando Health Care | Veterans Affairs, subscribe to receive email updates by clicking here, like us on Facebook at: @OVAHCS, follow us on Instagram at: @OVAHCS, or on Twitter at: @OVAHCS. 

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Established in October 2006, the Orlando VA Healthcare System (VAHCS) was designated a 1a facility (most complex) in 2021, with more than 5,660 employees and an annual budget of $1.5B and serves more than 149,931 Veterans in Central Florida. The Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona provides outpatient, inpatient, and emergency services. Lake Nona’s 65-acre medical campus encompasses 159 acute inpatient beds, providing complex Medical/Surgical/Mental Health specialty care, advanced diagnostic services, and a large multispecialty outpatient clinic, as well as a 120-bed Community Living Center, two Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs/Domiciliaries (60-beds located at the Lake Nona Campus and 56 beds at the Lake Baldwin Campus). Outpatient services are provided at a Health Care Center in Viera, a Multispecialty Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Daytona Beach, and five Community-Based Outpatient Clinics located in Clermont, Lake Baldwin, Kissimmee, Deltona, Palm Bay and Tavares.