Stanford Health Care has launched a new software tool called ChatEHR, allowing clinicians to interact directly with electronic health records (EHRs).

Importance of ChatEHR

The tool, developed by data scientists at Stanford Medicine, aims to improve clinician engagement with EHRs and reduce administrative burdens. It enables healthcare professionals to:

• Ask questions about patients’ medical histories.
• Automate the summarization of patient charts.
• Enhance workflow efficiency.

ChatEHR utilizes a large language model (LLM) similar to OpenAI’s GPT-4, drawing information from individual health records to generate responses.

Current Pilot Program

Currently, ChatEHR is being piloted with a select group of approximately 30 clinicians, including physicians, nurses, and physician assistants, at Stanford Hospital. These users are responsible for monitoring the tool’s accuracy and refining its features.

While ChatEHR does not provide medical advice or decision support, it is designed to gather data from EHRs, helping clinicians save time during patient care.

Expert Insights

Dr. Michael Pfeffer, chief information and digital officer at Stanford Health Care, stated:

“ChatEHR opens up a new way for clinicians to interact with electronic health records in a more streamlined and efficient manner, whether that’s asking for a summary of the entire chart or retrieving specific data points relevant to the patient’s care.”

Dr. Sneha Jain, an early adopter of ChatEHR, emphasized the tool’s potential to make EHRs more user-friendly, allowing physicians to focus more on patient interaction rather than searching for information.

Broader Context

AI-driven interactions with EHR systems are not new, but the rise of generative AI has renewed interest in these technologies. Stanford, a leader in AI innovation, is well-positioned to leverage these advancements to benefit clinicians.

As the pilot progresses, Stanford Health Care is committed to a careful implementation of ChatEHR, ensuring that it meets the needs of clinicians while maintaining accuracy and security.

Future Developments

The team behind ChatEHR is exploring additional features, including automations that could assist in evaluating patient transfer eligibility and other clinical tasks. The goal is to eventually expand access to all clinicians involved in patient care.

For more information, visit the Stanford news article.