Breaking the Documentation Burden: Sunoh.ai VP Rakhee Langer on AI Technology That’s Saving Physicians 2 Hours Daily 

Healthcare documentation has long been a significant burden on physicians, contributing to widespread burnout and reducing valuable patient interaction time. Today, we sit down with Rakhee Langer, Vice President of Sunoh.ai and healow, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming clinical documentation. 

Rakhee leads business development, product strategy, implementation, and support for healow’s suite of products and is currently spearheading Sunoh.ai, an innovative AI medical scribe designed to transform clinical documentation and enhance patient care. With her background in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and extensive experience overseeing EHR implementations for large and medium-sized practices, Rakhee brings unique insights into the intersection of technology and healthcare delivery. 

In this comprehensive interview, we’ll discuss how Sunoh.ai’s ambient listening technology captures patient-provider conversations, its impact on physician burnout, multilingual capabilities, integration challenges, and the future of AI in healthcare documentation. 

1. Can you walk us through how Sunoh.ai’s ambient listening technology captures and organizes patient-provider conversations into structured clinical notes? What makes this process stand out compared to traditional dictation or human scribe methods? 

Sunoh.ai employs ambient listening and advanced voice recognition technology to capture patient-provider conversations in real time. The system automatically transcribes these interactions into a dialogue flow, organizes them into structured clinical notes, and categorizes the summarized content into appropriate sections of the Progress Notes. It also supports SOAP and DAP notes while capturing lab, imaging, procedure, and medication orders. This process stands out compared to traditional dictation or human scribe methods by offering real-time transcription, seamless integration into EHRs, and reducing the need for extensive manual notetaking, thus saving time and enhancing accuracy. Sunoh.ai also supports multilingual conversations, recognizing various accents and dialects to summarize natural language conversations between providers and patients. Providers review the summary of the notes for accuracy and modify if necessary. 

The AI-powered technology also reduces the risk of human error and ensures that providers can revisit the notes at a later date to compare them.  

2. Physician burnout is a critical issue, with studies showing 63% of providers experiencing it due to administrative tasks. How has Sunoh.ai measurably reduced documentation time and stress for physicians, and can you share specific success stories or metrics, like the 90% faster documentation reported by Douglas County Family Practice? 

Sunoh.ai saves up to two hours per day on documentation, significantly reducing physician burnout and improving work-life balance. The ability to create accurate draft notes reduces the time spent on reviewing and editing, reducing stress further. Sunoh.ai has significantly reduced documentation time and alleviated stress for physicians, as evidenced by the successful implementation at Douglas County Family Practice.  

According to Dr. Binu George, MD at Douglas County Family Practice, Sunoh.ai generates notes 90% faster than traditional methods. By accurately documenting high-speed patient-doctor conversations, Sunoh.ai enhances clinical efficiency, helping physicians focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks. This efficiency translates to more “stethoscope time” and 100% face-to-face patient interaction, especially in the field of pulmonary critical care. The practice reports saving two to three hours daily on clinical documentation, improving work-life balance by allowing physicians more time with their families, and enhancing billing operations through the timely completion of notes. This transformation has been pivotal in reducing burnout and elevating the quality of patient care. 

Other providers, such as Esteban Gentle, Analyst at Hendry Regional Medical Center, echo Dr. Binu George’s sentiments, reporting Sunoh.ai has significantly enhanced clinical documentation processes and saves them over two hours daily. Gentle reports that “Sunoh.ai enables our providers to document the progress note while the patient speaks their native language, in this case, Spanish. Sunoh.ai then summarizes the visit into English. Previously, we used a third-party solution and translators. It was a cumbersome experience, even for the patients. Now, it’s accessible even on iPads with just a click, making it very convenient. The AI scribe eliminates the need for two large computers on stands and simplifies the entire process, creating a seamless experience for patients and providers.”   

 He added, “Sunoh.ai generates the HPI details and adds them to the appropriate sections of the patient’s progress notes, saving providers significant time and multiple clicks. The medical AI scribe enables providers to lock the progress notes on time, allowing the billing staff their workflows. The detailed transcripts also help billers and coders identify missing CPT and ICD codes, ensuring there is no loss of revenue.”  

3. Sunoh.ai is described as EHR-agnostic and integrates with systems like eClinicalWorks, Cerner, Epic, and Athena. How does this flexibility benefit practices with diverse EHR setups, and what challenges have you faced in ensuring seamless integration across these platforms? 

Sunoh.ai’s EHR-agnostic nature allows the AI medical scribe to easily integrate with various EHR systems, helping practices with different setups by reducing disruptions and maintaining workflows. This allows providers to adopt Sunoh.ai without overhauling their existing EHR systems, minimizing disruptions, and maintaining the continuity of their established workflows. This adaptability is crucial for practices that have invested considerable time and resources into their current EHR systems, as it avoids the potential costs and learning curves associated with switching platforms. 

As an EHR-agnostic AI medical scribe, Sunoh.ai ensures it can be implemented across various practice sizes and specialties, from small independent clinics to large healthcare organizations, without compromising functionality or efficiency. This wide-ranging compatibility enhances Sunoh.ai’s appeal as a versatile tool for improving clinical documentation processes. 

 
When it comes to integration, part of the planning requires involvement and participation from multiple teams at the health system, such as IT, project management, and the EMR training team, etc. An active role played by all parties ensures a smooth, seamless experience for the providers 

4. The multilingual feature of Sunoh.ai, as used by High Country Community Health, supports diverse dialects and accents. How does this capability enhance patient care in multilingual settings, and what specific feedback have you received from providers in such practices? 

Sunoh.ai’s multilingual capability, supporting over 13 languages like English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and more, enhances patient care by accurately documenting patient-provider interactions in diverse linguistic settings. Sunoh.ai’s multilingual capabilities significantly improve patient care in multilingual settings, as demonstrated by its implementation at High Country Community Health (HCCH) and Sun Life Health. The AI medical scribe’s ability to recognize different dialects and accents within the same language, such as various forms of Spanish, ensures accurate and comprehensive documentation of patient-provider interactions.  

Dr. Giovanni Llibre, MD, at HCCH, highlights that Sunoh.ai saves him two hours daily on clinical documentation by streamlining the process and reducing the time needed for post-visit note review and editing. The AI scribe saves about 5–7 minutes per visit, improving work-life balance and reducing provider burnout risk. This time efficiency allows healthcare professionals to spend more time addressing patient questions and concerns, which is critical for delivering quality, patient-centered care. 

By creating draft SOAP notes that accurately reflect the nuances of different dialects, Sunoh.ai ensures the completeness and precision of progress notes. This capability improves documentation accuracy and enhances the overall patient experience by enabling providers to communicate effectively and compassionately with patients from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Incorporating this multilingual feature into its services, HCCH has embraced Sunoh.ai’s technology to break down language barriers and deliver culturally competent care. 

5. Documentation accuracy is critical to avoid errors in patient care. How does Sunoh.ai ensure precision in capturing medical terms, diagnoses, and treatment plans, and what role does provider review play in maintaining compliance with industry standards? 

Sunoh.ai provides accuracy in capturing medical terms, diagnoses, and treatment plans through advanced natural language processing and AI algorithms. Documenting notes immediately after a patient visit isn’t always feasible, sometimes leading to documentation errors. With Sunoh.ai, providers can review a conversation later, ensuring no critical detail is missed during documentation. This helps Sunoh.ai capture critical patient information accurately. Provider review is crucial for maintaining compliance with industry standards, as it allows healthcare professionals to verify and update notes, ensuring their accuracy before finalizing them in patient records.\ 

The product is built to ensure the provider reviews and modifies the note as they feel is needed before bringing it into the EHR. Sunoh.ai is built to help providers complete their notes as efficiently as possible, but requires the providers to take action to make it a part of the patient chart. 

6. Sunoh.ai is praised for saving providers up to two hours daily on documentation. How does this time savings translate into improved patient engagement and clinical outcomes, and are there any standout examples from practices like Priority Care Pediatrics or HOPE Community Medicine? 

The time savings offered by Sunoh.ai allow providers to focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks, leading to better patient engagement and clinical outcomes. Sunoh.ai’s ability to save providers up to two hours daily on documentation significantly enhances patient engagement and clinical outcomes, as exemplified by its implementation at HOPE Community Medicine.  

The integration of Sunoh.ai at the FQHC has been transformative, especially in behavioral health settings. By automating the documentation process, Sunoh.ai allows counselors to spend more time directly interacting with patients rather than being bogged down by paperwork. This increased face-to-face time enables providers to focus on essential aspects of patient care, such as observing body language, maintaining eye contact, and trust—all key elements that enhance the therapeutic relationship and improve patient outcomes.  

Jacob Bragg, an IT specialist at HOPE, emphasizes how Sunoh.ai has streamlined the notetaking process, allowing counselors to engage more effectively with their patients. The AI scribe supports seamless documentation, enabling counselors to concentrate on patient interactions, fostering an environment where patients feel heard and understood. This deeper connection encourages patients to share more openly, trust their providers, and adhere to treatment plans, ultimately improving their health outcomes.  

Moreover, the time saved on documentation enables providers at HOPE to complete their work within office hours, contributing to a better work-life balance and reducing burnout risk. This balance is crucial for maintaining the mental well-being of healthcare professionals, especially in demanding fields like behavioral health. 

7. Sunoh.ai’s pricing model at $149 per month per provider offers significant cost savings compared to traditional scribing solutions. What return on investment have practices seen in terms of efficiency, cost reduction, and revenue, and how does this impact their ability to scale and improve patient care? 

This significant cost saving makes Sunoh.ai an appealing choice for practices aiming to optimize budgets while ensuring high-quality documentation. By automating the scribing process, Sunoh.ai removes the need for salaries, benefits, and training associated with human scribes, thereby lowering overall operational expenses. Additionally, the AI-powered medical scribe’s capability to produce accurate draft Progress Notes rapidly improves workflow efficiency. 

The return on investment for practices using Sunoh.ai is evident in several ways: 

1. Cost Savings: Practices reduce expenses associated with employing human scribes, allowing them to allocate resources more efficiently and potentially expand services or patient capacity without incurring additional staffing costs.  

2. Time Efficiency: Sunoh.ai enables healthcare professionals to focus more on direct patient care by saving providers up to two hours daily on documentation, increasing patient throughput, and potentially boosting practice revenue. 

3. Improved Patient Care: By spending less time on administrative tasks, providers can enhance patient engagement and interaction, leading to better clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. 

4. Scalability and Flexibility: As an EHR-agnostic solution, Sunoh.ai supports multiple medical specialties, allowing practices to maintain consistent quality care across diverse patient populations while controlling costs. 

8. Sunoh.ai supports both in-person and telehealth visits, as seen with MedPeds PLLC. How does the AI scribe adapt to the nuances of virtual consultations, and what advantages does it offer for providers balancing hybrid care models? 

Sunoh.ai supports both in-person and telehealth visits, adapting to the nuances of virtual consultations by accurately capturing and transcribing interactions in real time. This is especially valuable for providers balancing hybrid care models, ensuring consistent documentation quality across different care settings. 

This successful implementation can be seen at MedPeds PLLC. This AI-powered medical scribe enhances clinical documentation during telehealth appointments by integrating seamlessly with eClinicalWorks’ EHR and the healow TeleVisits platform. 

During telehealth interactions, Sunoh.ai captures and summarizes conversations, generating detailed SOAP notes that providers can review and edit. This capability ensures that documentation is accurate and comprehensive, even in a virtual setting, where the dynamics and flow of consultations can differ from in-person visits. By efficiently handling documentation, Sunoh.ai allows providers to focus more on patient care than on administrative tasks, improving patient-provider interaction. 

For providers balancing hybrid care models, Sunoh.ai offers several advantages: 

1. Seamless Integration: Sunoh.ai works alongside healow TeleVisits and integrates with any EHR, providing consistent documentation experience regardless of the consultation format. This integration is crucial for maintaining a unified workflow across both in-person and virtual visits. 

2. Time Efficiency: By streamlining the documentation process, Sunoh.ai saves providers time, allowing them to see more patients and improve their productivity without compromising the quality of care. 

3. Enhanced Patient Engagement: The AI scribe enables providers to maintain focus on patient interactions, leading to a more personalized and immersive experience. This is particularly important in telehealth, where building rapport and trust can be more challenging. 

4. Ease of Use: Sunoh.ai’s straightforward onboarding and user-friendly interface make it accessible for providers, minimizing the learning curve and facilitating quick adoption. Its compatibility with various devices, including iOS and Android devices. 

9. The eBook “The ROI of AI Medical Scribes” emphasizes streamlining workflows and improving revenue. Can you share insights on how Sunoh.ai impacts a practice’s financial performance, such as through faster billing or increased patient throughput? 

Sunoh.ai has a positive impact on a practice’s financial performance by streamlining workflows, reducing documentation time, and enabling faster billing processes. This efficiency allows practices to see more patients and increase revenue. Timely documentation enables providers to finalize progress notes promptly, which in turn allows billing staff to manage their workflows efficiently. 

Esteban Gentle, Analyst at Hendry Regional Medical Center, noted that Sunoh.ai helps providers complete clinical documentation by the end of each day, significantly reducing documentation delays. As a result, the practice has also reported a substantial acceleration in billing workflows, which contributes to increased revenue. The detailed transcripts assist billers and coders in identifying missing CPT and ICD codes, ensuring that no revenue is lost and improving overall practice operations. 

10. Looking to the future, how do you envision Sunoh.ai evolving to further transform clinical documentation? Are there plans to expand its AI capabilities, such as predictive analytics or deeper integration with emerging healthcare technologies? 

We continue to innovate at Sunoh.ai. With over 13 languages we support today, we continue to add more languages regularly. In addition, we are bringing more enhancements to help providers in areas of pre-charting and even be able to remind providers on aspects of care for the patient. Innovation is core to a product’s success, and we are always listening to our customers for areas we can bring technology to help.  

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