1. Introduction

Ember Copilot is revolutionizing clinical workflows through AI-powered medical documentation, with a mission to reduce physician burnout and improve patient care. This case study explores the experience of Dr. Daniel Rengstorff, a distinguished gastroenterologist at Atherton Endoscopy Center with over two decades of medical experience.

Dr. Rengstorff's credentials include graduating from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1998, completing his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2001, and finishing his fellowship in Gastroenterology at California Pacific Medical Center in 2004. With 23 years of practice, his perspective on transitioning from traditional dictation software to Ember Copilot offers valuable insights into the transformation of clinical documentation in modern medical practice.

2. The User's Challenge: Balancing Patient Care and Administrative Burden

Before adopting Ember Copilot, Dr. Rengstorff faced the common challenge of balancing quality patient interaction with documentation requirements. His experience highlighted several key challenges:

• Time spent on manual documentation during patient visits
• Reduced patient engagement due to typing during consultations
• Constant need to verify and correct transcription errors
• Risk of missing important details in long patient visits

3. Exploring AI Scribing Solutions: Dr. Rengstorff's Experience

Initial Experience with Dragon

Dr. Rengstorff’s practice initially used Dragon dictation software, but its limitations soon became apparent:

• Frequent transcription errors: "Dragon would make constant mistakes"
• Limited functionality beyond basic transcription
• Required significant time for corrections and formatting

Transition to Ember Copilot

Initially, Dr. Rengstorff expected Ember Copilot to be similar to Dragon, providing basic transcription. However, he quickly realized it was a game-changer:

 "I thought it would be more like a Dragon-type just transcription situation," Dr. Rengstorff recalls. However, he quickly discovered that Ember Copilot offered much more: "I didn't quite get the sense of how well it would put together a nicely written, medical formatted note."

4. The Benefits of Ember Copilot

Enhanced Patient Engagement

Ember Copilot allows physicians to focus on their patients rather than their notes. Dr. Rengstorff describes how it improved his consultations:

“I just turn Ember up, and I just sit and listen to the patient... I feel like I’m a little bit more interactive with the patient.”

“You’re not thinking about your note. You’re thinking about what the patient’s telling you.”

Comprehensive Documentation

Ember Copilot ensures complete documentation of patient visits, even capturing details that might otherwise be overlooked:

 "Sometimes when I have a really long visit... When I go back, I'm like, 'oh yeah, I would not have thought to write that in my notes because I almost forgot about it…You have that reassurance that you’re capturing everything that’s happening during the visit.'"

Evidence-Based Coding and Documentation

Dr. Rengstorff highlights how Ember Copilot has transformed his approach to medical coding through comprehensive documentation support. The system actively identifies missing documentation elements.

 "It tells you what's missing, like time of patient or different parameters... duration of problems." This proactive approach ensures documentation completeness before submission.

Previously taking a conservative approach to coding, Dr. Rengstorff notes a significant shift.

 "I was always very conservative with my coding, so I did a lot of level threes, very few level fours. Now it's like, 'Oh, okay, there's enough there, I should be doing fours." 

This improvement isn't just about higher coding levels – it's about accurately capturing the complexity of care provided with proper documentation to support it.

The practice has undergone voluntary audits to verify their coding accuracy, consistently performing well. As Dr. Rengstorff points out, under-coding can be as problematic as over-coding.

"You can even get audited if you under-code." 

Ember Copilot helps maintain this balance by ensuring documentation thoroughly supports the appropriate coding level.

5. Overcoming Challenges in Adoption

Addressing Patient Privacy Concerns

To address potential privacy concerns, Dr. Rengstorff's practice added language to their privacy policy stating that "your doctor may use a virtual scribe to help with notes." He notes that this approach has been well-received and offers enhanced privacy compared to traditional human scribes.

Exceptional Technical Performance

Ember Copilot excels even in challenging scenarios:

“I have patients with thick accents or who speak quietly, and it does a pretty good job picking that up.”

6. Broader Implications for AI in Healthcare

Enhancing Clinical Practice

Dr. Rengstorff's experience demonstrates how AI can enhance rather than replace human interaction in healthcare. 

"You're not thinking about your note. You're thinking about what the patient's telling you." 

Future Potential

The positive impact of Ember Copilot has led to peer-to-peer advocacy within the practice:

“We convinced our fourth person, like, ‘You gotta do this.’”

7. Conclusion

Dr. Rengstorff’s verdict is clear: “We’re not going to renew Dragon… Not going back.” Ember Copilot has transformed his practice by improving documentation efficiency, enhancing patient interaction, and supporting accurate revenue capture.

His advice to other physicians:

“You need to try it because it will really free you up.”

Ember Copilot exemplifies how the right technology can turn clinical documentation from a burden into a powerful tool for better healthcare.