WVU Medicine Brings AI into Doctor's Offices

New initiative aims to improve patient-doctor connections and reduce paperwork.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 7:50pm

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WVU Medicine is implementing an artificial intelligence program called Abridge in its facilities across West Virginia. The AI technology is designed to better connect doctors and patients while cutting down on time spent on documentation and paperwork after patient encounters.

Why it matters

The integration of AI in healthcare settings has the potential to improve the patient experience and allow doctors to focus more on care rather than administrative tasks. However, some patients may have concerns about being recorded during their visits.

The details

The Abridge AI program will be used by 2,800 clinicians across WVU Medicine facilities. The technology is meant to generate documentation automatically, freeing up doctors to spend more time engaging directly with patients. While patients will be given the option to opt out of the AI recording, WVU Medicine is working to address any hesitation by assuring patients the recordings are secure and not shared externally.

  • The Abridge AI program is currently being used in a number of WVU Medicine facilities.

The players

WVU Medicine

A healthcare system operating in West Virginia.

David Rich

The Chief Medical Information Officer at WVU Medicine.

Abridge

An AI program being implemented by WVU Medicine to improve patient-doctor interactions and reduce administrative tasks.

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What they’re saying

“So what it brings to us is more focus on the patient and less time typing away or using other tools to generate documentation after we had that encounter with the patients.”

— David Rich, Chief Medical Information Officer, WVU Medicine

“Understand the hesitation. We try to talk that the recording is secure, it's not send out, it's not sold.”

— David Rich, Chief Medical Information Officer, WVU Medicine

What’s next

WVU Medicine plans to make the Abridge AI program available to all 2,800 of its clinicians across its facilities.

The takeaway

The integration of AI technology in healthcare settings has the potential to improve the patient experience and allow doctors to focus more on care, but healthcare providers must address patient concerns about privacy and data security to ensure successful adoption.