NextGen Healthcare announced that its AI-driven ambient listening solution NextGen® Ambient Assist is now available to ophthalmologists and optometrists. NextGen Ambient Assist saves medical professionals up to two hours of documentation time per day by transcribing patient-provider conversations in real time and leveraging AI to summarize patient encounters within 60 seconds of a visit.

This latest release is tailored to support the workflows of ophthalmology and optometry and address the specific challenges and limitations of using ambient listening to document eye exams. NextGen Ambient Assist now intelligently captures details into organized fields for every section of the eye. Once the provider reviews the generated visit note and makes any necessary edits from their mobile device, it is delivered seamlessly and securely into the NextGen® Enterprise electronic health record (EHR).

Conveniently accessed through the NextGen® Mobile application on the provider’s smartphone, NextGen Ambient Assist offers:

• Clinical context: The solution is familiar with natural, conversational speaking and immediately recognizes medical acronyms, including those unique to ophthalmology and optometry.
• Complete automation: After provider approval, no extra steps are required to copy and paste into the EHR.
• Auto-deletion: To preserve client privacy, audio and transcripts are never stored or saved.
• Decision support: Based on the patient-provider conversation, NextGen Ambient Assist will enable decision support for specific diagnoses and relevant lab or imaging orders for provider review and approval.

“Since it was first introduced last year, NextGen Ambient Assist has transformed the practice of medicine for providers across many specialties by helping them realize unprecedented efficiency,” said David Sides, CEO, NextGen Healthcare. “Now, we are excited to help ophthalmologists and optometrists save time and guard against burnout with an ambient listening solution that addresses their specific needs and workflows.”

“Efficiency is critical in ensuring we provide the best care to our patients, and this tailored release of NextGen Ambient Assist is poised to revolutionize our workflows,” said Shannan Brown, O.D., Michiana Eye Center, a practice servicing South Bend, Indiana, and neighboring cities. “There’s nothing this advanced in the ophthalmology and optometry space; it’s clear how much it’s needed to help streamline operations and reduce the documentation burden—very exciting.”

Demonstrations of NextGen Ambient Assist for ophthalmology and optometry will be available October 18 – 21 in Chicago at AAO 24, the American Academy of Ophthalmology's annual meeting. Attendees can visit NextGen Healthcare’s booth (#2037) to experience the technology in-person.