Analyzing medical assistant tasks at a family medicine practice improved workflow

A recent study published in Annals of Family Medicine explores how technology is changing medical practice, including the use of AI-driven tools to effectively diagnose patients. The study also examines the interplay between fulfillment of basic psychological needs at work and technology use in maintaining clinician well-being.

A family medicine practice in upstate New York revised its patient dismissal process, shifting from expedited dismissals to a structured review process that prioritizes patient engagement and collaborative planning. This redesign led to a significant decline in behavior-concern referrals and eliminated racial disproportionality.

Tablet-based hearing tests were found to be feasible and acceptable in routine family medicine, with 27% of screened patients showing some level of hearing impairment. The study suggests that these tests may help general practitioners diagnose hearing disorders more accurately.

A new generative AI tool called Theseus is being developed to reduce time and labor in computational modeling, suggesting and running simulations to accelerate research and discovery. The AI assistant aims to enhance the work of computational scientists by providing scientific intuition, checking code for bugs and making suggestions.

Assistant Professor Mohammad Halim is studying protein- and enzyme-based solvents to improve storage of injection-based therapeutics. His research aims to find the optimal mixture of eutectic solvents that can preserve these drugs at subfreezing temperatures without altering their critical proteins.

The Mount Sinai Health System will implement Microsoft Dragon Copilot, an AI-powered voice assistant designed to streamline clinical documentation and automate administrative tasks. The rollout aims to reduce burnout, improve patient experiences, and enhance clinical efficiency across the system.