AI Scribes Linked to Modest Time Savings for Doctors

Multisite study finds AI-enabled documentation tools reduced time spent in EHR, but didn't impact after-hours charting

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:33pm

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A study across five academic health systems found that using AI-enabled 'ambient documentation' tools, or AI scribes, was associated with modest decreases in time spent in the electronic health record (EHR) and on documentation, though it did not significantly change the amount of time spent in the EHR outside of work hours. The researchers noted that while the time savings were modest, it likely allowed clinicians to reallocate that time to other patient care tasks.

Why it matters

Documentation is a major source of physician burnout, so finding tools that can reduce that burden is important for clinicians and patients alike. This study suggests AI scribes may have a modest benefit for time expenditure, but an important impact on how clinicians feel about their time expenditure.

The details

The difference-in-differences analysis found that using AI scribes was associated with 13.4 fewer minutes of EHR time and 16.0 fewer minutes of charting per 8-hour scheduled patient day. However, it did not significantly change the amount of time spent in the EHR outside of work hours. The time savings allowed for about one additional patient visit every 2 weeks, equating to around $167 in extra monthly revenue. Certain groups saw more benefit, including primary care specialists, advanced practice clinicians, female clinicians, and those who used AI scribes in half or more of their visits.

  • The study took place from June 2023 to August 2025 across five academic health centers.

The players

Lisa Rotenstein

A researcher at the University of California San Francisco and lead author of the study.

Vincent Liu

A researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Pleasanton, California and co-author of the editorial accompanying the study.

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What they’re saying

“While the time savings are modest, it is likely because there is so much work to do related to patient care that when clinicians were saving time on documentation, they were likely reallocating that to other patient care tasks -- messages, chart review, corresponding with other team members, etc.”

— Lisa Rotenstein, Researcher, University of California San Francisco

“This suggests that AI scribes may have a modest benefit for time expenditure but an important impact on how clinicians feel about their time expenditure.”

— Lisa Rotenstein, Researcher, University of California San Francisco

“The next question is whether that time is reinvested in ways that measurably improve outcomes and equity for patients and how it impacts clinical practice.”

— Vincent Liu, Researcher, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research

What’s next

Future research should assess how these AI documentation tools can best improve clinicians' workflows and evaluate their impact on clinical reasoning, documentation quality, skills acquisition, and supervision, especially as a new 'AI-native' generation of clinicians emerges.

The takeaway

While AI scribes provide modest time savings for clinicians, the more important impact may be on reducing the burden of documentation and improving clinician well-being, which could have downstream benefits for patient care. However, more research is needed to understand how this time is reallocated and the broader implications for clinical practice.