UW Health pilots AI for patient communications
UW Health, the academic health system of the University of Wisconsin, is helping to shape a new AI application from Microsoft and Epic designed to automate documentation, patient communications and other nonclinical work that tends to be a time-consuming burden for nurses and physicians.
The pilot program began in April 2023, with a small group of physicians working on the project. Since then, the project has expanded to be used by nurses who provide feedback to improve the AI’s ability to generate messages.
Since the launch, 75 nurses in over 30 departments have used the AI to send more than 3,000 messages to patients, UW Health said in a statement. The application is used in the patient portal to reply to messages and inform patients about the status of their test results, upcoming appointments, claim status and more.
The AI is a large-language model (LLM) created specifically for healthcare settings. The messages are reviewed by a member of the hospital’s clinical staff for accuracy before being sent to patients, UW Health said. The goal is to improve operational efficiency and the speed of patient interactions.
The health system added that the AI has reduced staff burnout and helped with their rate of nurse retention, which is also supported by a residency program.
“We are not immune to the workforce shortages in health care, and we’re also seeing a growing demand for our care,” Rudy Jackson, chief nurse executive at UW Health said in the statement. “We’re eager to try innovative methods to ensure our nurses have the tools they need to focus on caring for their patients.”
The AI draws from patient data in the EHR. The data is secure in compliance with HIPAA, as messages are only sent through the patient portal.
UW Health said their one-year nurse retention rate is 97%. Similar hospitals with a residency program have a one-year retention rate of 91%. Without a residency program, the retention rate drops to 71% nationally.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.