CAHMS Quality Improvement Project using AI technology wins first prize | News

Between July and October 2024 ten clinicians from CNWL’s CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) participated in a pilot utilising  Anathem, an AI ambient voice technology (AI AVT). The pilot, aimed at improving patient engagement and pressures placed on clinicians, recently placed first at the Royal College of Psychiatrists Better Data, Better Care Conference.  

Increases in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has led to a stronger demand on clinical services.  The NHS’s long-term plan  has committed to test and implement effective ways to reduce wait times.  Anathem claims to reduce the burden on clinicians, increasing capacity by 20%.  

Preliminary evidence has shown that AI AVT reduces the administrative burden placed on clinicians (time taken to write documents more than halved from 27 minutes to 10) it is also generally accepted by patients and their carers. A second phase of this pilot began in December 2024. 

Examples of ambient voice technology include scribes, dictation tools and speech to text devices, and they require vocal commands to work. In the medical field, they are used in the room with a clinician and patient to reduce documentation burdens, improve workflow, and clinician-patient interaction by removing the need for clinicians to take their own notes. Within CAMHS, AVI was used as a scribe in medication reviews, for progress notes and in the creation of letters to GPs and family members 

However, possible barriers include technical problems, technological limitations, automation complacency, documentation error, as well as the possible de-skilling associated with relying on AI for notetaking.  

Dr Noah Stanton, Psychiatric Core Trainee, said:

“We know that documentation burden is a leading cause of clinician burnout. Over the last 12 months, we’ve trialled this technology across CNWL with promising results. Although we’re only at the start of this journey, it’s been a great experience collaborating with the Trust and Anathem to improve patient and clinician outcomes”.  

If you would like to find out more you can read about the project here, or find more QI Projects happening across the trust here.