Enhancing ENT patient care with AI documentation

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Background

Aman Khanna is an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) surgeon working in both the NHS and private practice. Having worked in a large trust, Aman has experienced firsthand the challenges of traditional dictation and documentation processes. He first encountered Heidi through a recommendation from a colleague and began using it across both his NHS and private work. 

Challenges

Before using Heidi, Aman faced several inefficiencies with his documentation process.

Traditional dictation

In his NHS role, Aman relied on manual dictation and typing for documentation. The process was slow, time-consuming and required notes and letters to be closely audited for accuracy. 

"Before Heidi, we were just typing notes and dictating letters. It’s what I’ve done in the NHS for years, but it’s time-consuming." 

Letters from the past

Often letters took weeks to write up, meaning that details may be lost and it was hard for Aman to keep track of all the patients he saw. 

“When I got my dictated letters back, sometimes they were back within a few days, but sometimes they were six weeks later.  It’s hard to remember the patient, so I didn't know if what I was reading was accurate or not.”

Solution

Aman began using Heidi after being introduced to it by a colleague, and he quickly realised its potential to improve his workflow. He started with the free version and eventually transitioned to a paid plan. 

"I haven't seen any of the other platforms do template generation as well. You can just search for what template you want and it’ll build it. It then allows me to save the template. I can modify it. It's in simple language. I can understand it. I can deconstruct it."

Aman’s favourite features:

• Accurate transcription: Heidi transcribes consultations efficiently, enabling Aman to focus more on his patients and less on administrative tasks.
• Custom template generation: Aman found Heidi’s template creation capabilities particularly useful. He was able to modify and generate templates for his notes, making the process of generating patient letters much faster. Heidi’s ability to handle natural language and create usable templates was a significant draw.
• AI-powered transcription and letter creation: Heidi’s transcription was particularly useful during private practice consultations. Aman was able to run four patient consultations, with Heidi listening in the background, and later generate letters without needing to revisit the notes.

"Yesterday, I saw four patients back to back, and Heidi listened in the background. I didn’t have to check the documentation in-depth after the consultation. I just reviewed it briefly and then moved on to the next patient. Afterward, I could generate the letters quickly." 

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Impact

Aman’s experience with Heidi has had a significant impact on his time management, job satisfaction, and overall efficiency.

Saving time for what matters

Aman estimates that Heidi saves him 7-8 minutes per patient in his private practice. This time saving adds up to a more efficient day, where he can focus on seeing more patients and providing better care.

"In a half-hour consultation, I’d spend 23 minutes speaking to the patient and 7 minutes dictating notes before Heidi. With Heidi, I can do the whole 30-minute consultation, and the paperwork is already done." 

Reduced mental burden

With Heidi handling the transcription and letter generation, Aman feels less mental strain, allowing him to stay focused on patient care instead of constantly worrying about documentation accuracy.

"The mental burden is just gone. I feel more relaxed with my private patients because I don’t have to think about the documentation." 

What’s next

Aman is hopeful that Heidi will continue to evolve, particularly in its ability to generate templates based on the nuances of each practice. He is already discussing the potential for Heidi to be adopted in his NHS trust and other clinical settings. He continues to advocate for Heidi in private practice, where its efficiency is already having a measurable impact on his work.

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