AI shows a lot of promise for physician practices who are increasingly burdened by administrative tasks and other duties that take time away from patient care.
However, promise is different from reality, as the up front investment and implementation presents significant barriers to the adoption of new AI-enabled technologies for smaller practices.
Brian Bizub, CEO of Raleigh (N.C.) Orthopaedic Clinic, told Becker’s that very few of the platforms typically marketed to physician practices are truly intraoperable and compatible with practices’ existing EMR systems. Additionally, he said that the AI products he has explored are often affordable in the beginning stages, but quickly get more expensive as beta testing draws to a close and vendors realize the full value of their product.
“I’m tired of chasing it,” Mr. Bizub said. He said his practice began looking at new AI platforms for their physical therapy line, which led to a stressful process of testing numerous demos, and still came away with many unanswered questions and little guidance.
“I want to work with a company that I know is well-established, has some integrity and maybe doesn’t have it today but they’ll work with me,” he said. His practice had recently begun working with Athelas on a new AI-scribe pilot when it began encountering some issues with conversion and communication with its EMR.
“As we were working through it, one of the physicians was really struggling a bit, and he was kind of our champion,” he said. Athelas responded by flying out from California to work with the physician the following day — a huge green flag for Mr. Bizub.
Mr. Bizub was able to get in touch with the vendor’s founder the same day and learned that it had launched an EMR system specifically for physical therapy practices.
“I like relationships,” Mr. Bizub said. “I don’t like widget sellers. I want you to know a little bit about my business, I want to know a little bit about [their] business and [their] adaptability to change — because as we know, healthcare changes basically every day.”
He found that this new vendor offered a full suite of AI products, all completely integrated with the EMR system. The interoperability of these platforms also allows them to be more tailored to an orthopedic practice’s needs, capable of evaluating and matching codes and producing a bill for services rendered within a matter of hours. It is also able to automatically follow up on insurance claims within 30 days — all essential needs for independent practices that he felt were overlooked in the past.
“I can’t employ enough people to check on a $100 million company’s claims every 30 days,” Mr. Bizub said. “There’s no ROI at all. They have the scheduling, the intake, the EMR system, the revenue cycle management, claims management … appeals are automatically written through an AI agent.”
This seamlessness is essential for physician practices in their search for an AI partner, he said, who neither have the financial nor staffing and time resources to add platforms piecemeal, Mr. Bizub said.
“To have that system in place is just … so incredible,” he added. He emphasized that with Athelas in particular, he has been able to connect with C-suite executives to understand the future plans and vision for their platforms.
Additionally, Athelas proposed ideal contracting terms, only asking the practice to sign a one-year contract with future price escalation built into the language of the agreement.
“I just feel like it’s a win-win for any practice looking to have an end-to-end suite to find a company that’s willing to actually listen,” he said.
The implementation has taken place over six months, which Mr. Bizub said was useful in getting physicians used to the platform without the threat of it being removed too quickly. He added that in this time, it has already lessened administrative burdens and given clinicians in the practice time back in their day.
“It’s an end-to-end platform that supports not only the clinical side but the administrative side, and that’s very hard to find,” he said. “AI has promised us so much, and we have seen so little from it. With Athelas, we have finally found someone who understands that we don’t need 12 platforms. “
