Ubie, Inc. (Headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Co-Representative Directors: Yoshinori Abe & Kota Kubo, referred to as ‘Ubie’) released a new feature utilizing generative AI (LLM: Large Language Model) for doctors to generate AI-based summarizes from patient visits. This feature uses the LLM to summarize patients’ symptoms and free-response answers in the ‘Ubie Medical Navi,’ product. It was developed based on the needs of doctors who want to spend more time on face-to-face communication. Allowing doctors to grasp the patient’s condition quickly and spend less time on preparing notes for EHR systems.
- About Ubie Medical Navi
Ubie Medical Navi is an AI-based summarization service designed to enhance the operational efficiency of doctors offices, clinics and hospitals. One of its distinguishing features is using smartphones or tablets instead of traditional paper medical questionnaires. Enabling detailed preliminary interviews tailored to each patient’s symptoms also significantly reduces the administrative tasks associated with electronic medical record documentation. Doctors can focus on patient examinations and other duties exclusive to their expertise as detailed preliminary interviews tailored to individual symptoms become possible, drastically reducing administrative work linked with electronic medical record entries. As awareness towards workstyle reforms grows in Japan, from acute-care hospitals nationwide to local clinics, as of October 2023, it has been adopted in 47 prefectures in Japan and over 1,500 medical institutions.
- About the ‘Medical Interview Summary Function’ Utilizing LLM (Large Language Model)
As the use of Ubie Medical Navi expands across doctors offices nationwide, doctors can gather more detailed information through preliminary interviews. Leading to an increase in the amount of information provided. We’ve often heard from doctors who wish to quickly and succinctly grasp the symptoms and concerns of their patients. Allow for more time spent on direct communication vs. upfront paperwork and documentation. We developed this feature to address this need by leveraging the summarization strengths stemming from the latest developments provided by LLM.
The new feature for clinics, ‘Medical Interview Summary Function,’ summarizes the 20-30 questions related to symptoms and lifestyle habits that patients answer on Ubie Medical Navi and the free-text consultation content they provide for doctors. The LLM presents this summary on the doctor’s PC screen. With this function, doctors can succinctly understand ‘what symptoms the patient has and what concerns or queries they might present,’ thereby improving the quality of medical consultations.
This feature was co-developed with practicing doctors and ‘Ubie Lab,’ a research organization established in July of this year, aiming for both innovation and safety in generative AI in the medical and healthcare sectors. While leveraging the strengths of LLM, we’ve taken care to ensure safety and reliability. From a perspective of preventing oversight in summaries, the original text before summarization is used by default, and even during summarization, a safety net structure allows for continuous reference to the original text.
- During Pilot Tests, 90% of Doctors Indicated Intent to Continue Using the Feature
During development and validation tests, out of the ten clinics that adopted the feature, nine showed an improvement in doctor satisfaction by using the Medical Interview Summary Function, indicating an intent to continue its use. Feedback included sentiments such as, ‘I can now approach a consultation having quickly and effortlessly obtained the necessary information’ and ‘Copying to electronic medical records has also become easier.’ These results highlight that the feature contributed to enhanced patient communication and improved operational efficiency.
- Developer’s Voice: Product Manager & Doctor, Shohei Harase
We arrived at the development of this function, contemplating how we could effectively utilize LLM—which is rapidly gaining adoption in various industries—in the medical field while taking ethical considerations and safety to the utmost account. Collecting daily feedback from daily usage in clinical settings, we developed the feature by balancing doctor needs with safe and secure technology usage with support from the development team and members of Ubie Lab.
Ubie remains committed to ensuring that generative AI is safely, securely, and effectively used in healthcare. We will continue to pour our efforts into improving and developing services that cater to the medical community’s and patients’ needs.
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