Main image courtesy of CNET.

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It seems that psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are more in demand than ever, and people are seeking them out to help with a variety of mental health issues. And while it’s a good thing that folks are interested in receiving this type of support, it has put a strain on providers to meet that demand. Over 90% of Americans believe there is a mental health crisis right now, but the increase in demand might be due to greater awareness and having less stigma attached to seeking help. Whatever the exact reasons are, the shortage of licensed mental health providers means clinicians are seeing more patients than ever before, potentially putting a strain on their own well being.

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Thankfully, there are digital solutions that can help psychiatrists better manage their workflow and patient journeys, and that includes AI scribes. But how do mental health professionals use AI scribes, and what are some of the benefits?

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This article will cover:

• How AI assists mental health providers
• The advantages of including AI in your practice
• The best AI scribe for psychiatry notes

How AI is assisting psychiatrists

There’s a lot to like about including AI in your daily routine

AI has rapidly been making its way into the healthcare field, and all kinds of specialists from neurosurgeons, cardiologists, oncologists, pediatricians, and primary care providers are finding lots of benefits. Although you may have thought that AI is only useful in other healthcare fields, it turns out that it is also incredibly useful in the mental health profession as well. This is especially good news as more and more people are seeking out help, and mental health providers are looking for ways to keep up with demand. But how are therapists and psychiatrists using AI in their practices?

• Assist with notes. Perhaps one of the most widespread ways that those in the mental health field are using AI is to automate the creation of their notes. In addition to seeing and caring for patients, psychiatrists must also ensure that for each encounter, a note is created and then synced to their EHR system. In order to ensure they get all the pertinent information during the appointment, therapists must divide their attention between creating a note manually, and listening to their patient. This can lead to problems, causing the psychiatrist to not be fully present with their patient. Instead, they’re also concerned with getting information into the note.

With an AI scribe for psychiatry notes, this issue eliminates itself. Ambient medical scribes listen and transcribe the conversation between the doctor and patient, so the therapist no longer needs to worry about typing as the patient speaks. The application will summarize the information and format it into a note, saving psychiatrists time on this administrative task. Once complete, it just needs to be approved, and then synced with the EHR. Most AI scribes also offer automated reminders and prompts for additional workflow tasks that will assist with the patient journey.

• Streamline workflow. When notes are created with AI instead of manually, it makes for a much more streamlined workflow. The psychiatrist no longer needs to set up a new note each time, or spend time after the visit filling them out (which can add up to additional time after hours). The task of charting patient information into notes is one way that AI can streamline workflow, but did you know that it can also assist with automating the patient journey and improving the billing process?

• Automated journey - Everything from follow up reminders, prescription refills, and additional tests can all be done automatically with the help of an AI scribe. Additional documentation such as referrals are a swipe away in the application. Patients can also check in and out, and receive after care or additional instructions post-visit. Reminders for appointments can be emailed or texted, reducing the occurrences of missed encounters.

• The billing process is often delayed by coding errors, resulting in denied claims and additional time spent fixing it. AI scribes can include codes at the point of care that are more accurate and likely to be approved.

• Faster diagnoses. Therapists are also using AI to assist with diagnoses. Since it can sift through massive amounts of data, as well as pull up information from past patient notes, AI can make suggestions for diagnoses and care based on the symptoms of the patient. AI is quicker to diagnose what may be occurring, and can use the data to inform the therapist. The psychiatrist can use these suggestions backed by data to enhance their treatment plan for the best possible outcome. 

• AI chatbots and assistants. In addition to using AI for notes and improving office efficiency, the mental health field has also seen an increase in AI chatbots and virtual assistants. These are good ways to assist patients who are new, and might need information from a therapist’s website, automating the patient journey to get them into the office. These devices can also give more people access to the first step in mental health assistance. Chatbots like Woebot Health can provide basic answers to questions, and guide the patient to reach out to a qualified psychiatrist. Chatbots and virtual assistants are not meant to replace human, licensed mental health professionals. 

The best AI scribe for psychiatry notes

What are some of the best options for AI in the mental health field?

If you’re wondering what some of the top options for AI scribes for psychiatry notes, we have a few you might want to try out!

Playback Health

A great option to help therapists automate their administrative tasks like note taking is with Playback Health’s ambient medical scribe. This is a great option for mental health providers who are looking for customizable formats, templates, EHR integration, automated patient journeys, and more efficient workflows. Users of this application find that transcription is 99% accurate, they see a 20% increase in productivity, and spend less hours charting each day.

Pros

• Two competitively priced tiers
• Ongoing support provided from day one
• Integration with EHRs
• Templates that can be customized
• HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant
• Organizes workflows
• Syncs immediately
• Free two week trial

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Cons

• Only two levels of pricing
• EHR integration costs extra on the lower tier

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Mentalyc

Mentalyc is an AI scribe that was specifically designed for those in the mental health field. It was created to automate notes and treatment plans, and generally to help make office processes flow more efficiently.

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Pros

• Can transcribe automated notes into a variety of formats (SOAP, BIRP, DAP, etc.)
• HIPAA compliant
• Converts recordings or dictation into notes
• Customizable
• Compatible with EHRs
• Two week free trial

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Cons

• Need to copy/paste notes into EHRs
• May be out of budget for smaller practices

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Freed

This AI scribe is designed to be simple, so you can get started using it right away. For mental health professionals, it’s a great way to start automating notes to free up more of your time.

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Pros

• Notes are automatically organized in the correct format so integration with the EHR system is easy
• HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant
• Free seven day trial
• Customizable
• Customers find that it’s very accurate

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Cons

• Only two pricing tiers
• Need to copy/paste notes into EHRs

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The benefits of using AI scribes for psychiatry notes

There are tangible benefits of using an AI scribe in the mental health field

Now you know that AI is indeed being used by all kinds of mental health providers, you should also know that it is making lasting benefits for both patients and clinicians.

1. Reducing burnout

Perhaps the most pressing problem affecting psychiatrists who are trying to manage their practice and patient workload is the issue of burnout and emotional exhaustion. Many mental health providers experienced an increase in patients during and after the pandemic especially, and have been trying to keep up ever since. This coupled with the dearth of trained therapists is why a lot of clinicians are reaching a tipping point. 

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AI for psychiatrists is designed to help take away some of the clerical tasks off the shoulders of providers, so instead of creating notes, they’re listening to their patients instead. Automated notes from the transcription of an AI scribe can make a world of difference in improving how smoothly a therapist’s office runs, and whether or not the provider feels satisfied with the level of care they’re able to give each patient.

2. Improved patient care

A direct result of the reduction in clinician burnout and overwhelm is an improvement in patient care. When therapists are focusing their attention on being present for the encounter, the patient feels that they’re really being listened to. AI can also increase patient satisfaction by sending automated reminders or information on treatments to patients. Knowing more about what they’re being treated for helps patients self-manage and feel more in control of their own care.

3. Cost effective

Smaller practices and psychiatrists that have their own individual practice might not have the budget to hire additional office help. While AI cannot do everything to help a therapy practice run smoothly, they are a valuable tool that can take care of many administrative tasks. Using AI to create notes and other medical documentation like billing ensures that all the information is in one workflow and access to that information is seamless.

4. Better organization

AI scribes also help a psychiatry practice become more efficient thanks to the automation of patient journeys, the syncing with EHR systems, and the increased accuracy of notes and billing information. 

Will AI replace psychiatrists?

Is it possible to replace a human therapist?

Although AI can greatly enhance the patient data management side of a practice, it is not designed to be a replacement for an actual human mental health professional. The basis for empathetic care is the doctor/patient relationship, and the trust that exists there. There is no way for an AI application to replace human interaction and decision making, it’s only meant to augment it. The goal of an AI scribe is to take the administrative burden off the shoulders of practitioners so that they can concentrate instead on providing better patient care. Restructuring workflow processes, helping automate patient journeys, providing transcriptions for notes are all fantastic ways to help reduce provider burnout that AI is very good at.

In addition, there are lots of regulatory, ethical, and safety concerns concerning too much interaction with AI alone, which is why psychiatrists do not need to worry about ambient medical scribes replacing them. 

Which AI scribe will you use for your psychiatry practice?

There are a lot of benefits to including an AI scribe into your psychiatry practice, but sometimes it can be difficult choosing the right one for you. That’s why it’s great to know the pros and cons of the few ambient medical scribes we reviewed above. No matter which one you end up with, you’re going to see your practice efficiency increase, as well as reducing the time you spend on administrative tasks—so you can concentrate on patients instead.