Patients and staff in Wolverhampton and Walsall will benefit from the rollout of new digital Ambient Voice Technology (AVT), which helps clinicians better focus on their consultations.
The technology listens securely to patient consultations and automatically generates structured clinical notes, which are reviewed, edited where necessary and approved before being added to the patient’s record.
The decision to introduce the technology follows a successful 8-month pilot at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, where clinicians in the Emergency Department, Medical Same Day Emergency Care, Dermatology, ENT and Audiology as well as Obstetrics and Gynaecology, led tested Heidi Health’s AVT.
Simon Evans, Group Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Strategy Officer, said: “Both of our organisations are committed to adopting innovative digital solutions across all our care services to bring benefits to our patients’ experience.
“The implementation of Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) will support our clinicians to deliver patient care by reducing the administrative burden, giving them back more time during a consultation to focus on each patient’s needs”.
“Our partnership with Heidi Health highlights tangible examples of how the technology can improve the experience of care for clinicians and patients alike.”
Following the pilot, Heidi Health was selected as The Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trusts’ preferred supplier for Ambient Voice Technology.
Raghav Sharma, Heidi Health Europe Director, said: “This partnership marks a step forward for the Trusts, giving their clinicians the time and capacity to focus on patient care, rather than paperwork.
“Being trusted to bring Heidi to their teams across multiple specialties is what we set out to build, and one that delivers real results and impact for the clinicians and Nurses using it every day.
“We’re committed to continuing that collaboration, and to easing the administration pressure on NHS staff across the Midlands region.”
The pilot on average reduced clinicians’ documentation time to less than four minutes per patient, giving them more time for patient care.
Dr Jamil Aslam, Emergency Medicine Consultant and Walsall Healthcare Lead for Quality Improvement and Ambient Voice Technology, said: “By using Ambient Voice Technology responsibly, we have been able to reduce the time staff spend on documentation and give them more time with the people who matter most – our patients.
“Our initial pilot of Heidi’s AVT has already released tens of thousands of hours back to frontline teams across multiple specialties, including the Emergency Department.
“Heidi is a practical, safe and scalable example of how technology can ease pressure on staff while improving the experience of care for patients.”
The technology will initially be introduced in Emergency Departments and outpatient specialties across both Trusts, and across all areas by 2028.