AI Technology is Reinventing Clinical Documentation, Increasing Team Member Well-being.

Home / AI Technology is Reinventing Clinical Documentation, Increasing Team Member Well-being.

Clinician burnout is a hot topic for all in healthcare, but with the DAX Copilot program, Novant Health continues to make strides in reducing burnout and prioritizing team member well-being.

Last year, Novant Health’s executive team partnered with Novant Health Foundation on the launch, which provided funding to make this new technology a reality as a systemwide priority to enhance team member well-being. The investment has strengthened support for clinicians, improved patient experience and continues to cultivate a culture of remarkable care.

Aram Alexanian, MD, clinical physician executive for wellness & informatics and family physician for Novant Health Primary Care Gilead in Huntersville, N.C., expressed his appreciation, saying, “On behalf of all of us, we extend our gratitude to the Foundation for your invaluable support, which empowers clinicians to focus on what they do best — providing remarkable patient care.”

DAX Copilot, short for Dragon Ambient eXperience, uses artificial intelligence to streamline clinical documentation directly within the Epic electronic health record system. It captures the patient-clinician conversation in real time and automatically generates documentation that the clinician can quickly review, edit and finalize. What used to take precious time afterhours and led to a heavy mental load can now be completed more efficiently and with greater accuracy, ensuring patients receive the best experience every time.

“For me, the real life-changer is the decreased burden of working memory. Most of us carry some part of 20 to 30 patient stories in our heads all day long. It is like carrying an increasing number of books while doing other tasks. Not carrying this mental load is a game changer.” — Novant Health clinician

Why it Matters

The launch of DAX Copilot comes at a critical time. Clinician burnout remains high across the healthcare industry, with 48% of physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout (American Medical Association, 2023) and 39% considering leaving the profession due to administrative burdens and work-life imbalance (Medscape Physician Burnout & Depression Report, 2023).

Supporting the well-being of their care teams is central to Novant Health’s cause. Novant Health Foundation’s philanthropic partners play a critical role in these well-being initiatives by funding tools such as DAX Copilot, which directly addresses the pain points clinicians face daily.

Driving Efficiency and Satisfaction

According to Novant Health’s internal reporting, nearly 900 clinicians have utilized DAX Copilot in more than 550,000 patient encounters. Clinicians using the platform report that it:

• Saves meaningful time per visit
• Reduces time spent using the computer during patient exams
• Enhances focus on patients instead of paperwork
• Lowers cognitive burden
• Improves work-life balance and overall well-being

Notably, 95% of users say they would be disappointed if they could no longer use the tool, and perhaps most importantly, 87% of users believe DAX Copilot improves the patient experience.

“It allows me to look at my patients more and be more present to them during their appointments. I am no longer trying to partially complete notes in the room.” — Novant Health physician

“As a clinical leader, I’ve seen the impact of DAX Copilot across our teams,” said Navin Bhojwani, MD, senior vice president of Novant Health clinical enterprise strategy. “It’s more than a documentation tool. It’s a way to restore focus on what matters most: our clinicians and our patients. With support from Novant Health Foundation, we’re not just keeping pace with innovation, we’re using it to reduce burnout and improve care at the same time.”

What’s Next

DAX Copilot has been successfully integrated across multiple specialties and care settings at Novant Health and will continue to expand to emergency departments and inpatient areas. Novant Health is also exploring future opportunities to bring this technology into the practice of nursing.

By carefully stewarding the philanthropic support of donors, Novant Health Foundation is committed to investing in tools that not only advance clinical outcomes but also care for the caregivers who make those outcomes possible.

As Ghazale Johnston, board of directors member for Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation, shared, “Philanthropy is one of the key catalysts to transforming healthcare.”

“At Novant Health Foundation, supporting the well-being and resilience of our clinicians is essential to fulfilling our commitment to remarkable care,” said Sharon Harrington, vice president, Novant Health and system chief philanthropy officer, Novant Health Foundation. “DAX Copilot exemplifies how we’re investing in our teams by reducing administrative burdens, allowing clinicians to focus their time and energy where it matters most—on their patients. Thanks to the generosity of philanthropic partners, we’re able to provide this tool across our health system, empowering our team members to thrive while delivering the highest standard of care.”