Blog

AI in Private Practice: Healthcare Professionals Share What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)

Practice management forums reveal the reality behind AI promises and better alternatives

“Paying 200+ Dollars/Month for 2 Dragon Users”

Healthcare professionals are asking tough questions about AI in private practice. A recent forum discussion started with this reality: “I’m paying 200+ dollars/month for 2 dragon users but recently tried Nabla free trial on recommendation from a new PA and it worked well.”

The conversation reveals a common struggle: small practices watching “large health systems using epic leveraging ambient AI technology” while trying to find cost-effective solutions for their own documentation and billing challenges.

Healthcare professionals are discovering that AI promises don’t always match private practice realities.

“It’s Not Better Than Dot Phrases and Dragon for Us Yet”

Experienced practitioners are sharing honest assessments of AI scribing tools. One practice owner noted: “I’ve tried numerous AI ambient scribes, its not better than dot phrases and dragon for us yet. If I owned an urgent care or had lots of docs who were 60+ then that might be different but my practice is pretty young and tech savvy.”

The reality check continues: “AI scribes are nominal at best. When I put in a procedure/surgery note, I just use dictation.”

Healthcare professionals emphasize that AI effectiveness varies significantly by practice type, provider age, and documentation complexity.

“Cost Is Not Worth Implementing for My Practice”

The financial reality of AI in private practice is sobering. Healthcare professionals report: “As for AI in billing, so far cost is not worth implementing for my practice.”

Another practitioner clarified: “Most EMRs that advertise ‘AI in billing’ are really just alert systems. They help a little, but you still end up needing a biller to chase down denials and appeals.”

The consensus among small practice owners: current AI solutions often cost more than they save, especially when human oversight is still required.

“Hours of My Life Back Every Day” – When AI Actually Works

Some healthcare professionals report significant benefits from specific AI tools. One family medicine practitioner shared: “Absolutely life changing in my family med private practice. Hours of my life back every day—wouldn’t have thought it would save me much more time than dictation but the difference is huge.”

Another noted: “I have a friend who has a concierge practice and said that it is life-changing for him.”

However, successful AI implementation appears to depend on specific practice types and patient populations, with urgent care and routine primary care visits showing better results than complex or surgical cases.

The Tool Recommendations Healthcare Professionals Share

Forum discussions reveal which AI tools practitioners actually recommend:

For Dictation/Scribing:

• “Nabla free trial” – works well for basic documentation
• “Freed” – “$1000 per year. Sold!” for transparent pricing
• “Heidi” – free option that “works well enough for most”
• “Suki” – multiple practitioners report good experiences
• “chartnote.com” – “Hundred dollars a month for unlimited use”

Mixed Results:

• “I use Commure and have kept it over Freed and Heidi, but I only find it helpful for my lifestyle medicine focused visits; in my surgical practice my dot phrases are more efficient still”

Integration Considerations: “Most EMRs now are starting to include an ambient AI charting feature” with varying quality and effectiveness.

“Got Rid of 2 Offshore Virtual Scribes” – The Hidden Comparison

One interesting comment revealed: “Athelas Ambient Scribe has been fantastic for us and we got rid off 2 off shore virtual scribes.”

This highlights a key comparison many practices don’t consider: AI tools versus human virtual scribes. The comment suggests practices were using offshore virtual scribes before switching to AI tools.

However, other discussions reveal that many practices still need human support even with AI tools, suggesting a hybrid approach might be optimal.

The EMR Integration Challenge

Healthcare professionals emphasize the importance of EMR compatibility: “If you’re shopping for a new EMR, I’d focus less on ‘does it come with AI built in?’ and more on ‘does it play well with AI tools I want to add?’ That flexibility ends up being more valuable long term.”

Practitioners report varying integration experiences:

• Some EMRs have “built-in AI note assist program which is incredibly accurate”
• Others require “one time charge to integrate into EMR”
• Integration quality varies significantly between systems

What Healthcare Professionals Actually Need?

Forum discussions reveal that practitioners want:

Cost-Effective Documentation: Moving beyond “$200+ dollars/month for 2 dragon users” to more affordable solutions.

Reliable Accuracy: Tools that consistently produce accurate notes without extensive editing.

Time Savings: Real “hours of my life back every day” results, not minimal improvements.

Integration Simplicity: Solutions that work seamlessly with existing EMR systems.

Billing Support: Help with coding and claims, though current AI solutions aren’t meeting this need effectively.

Flexible Scaling: Options that work for small practices without enterprise-level complexity or costs.

Virtual Medical Scribes: The Alternative Healthcare Professionals Overlook

While healthcare professionals debate AI tool effectiveness and costs, many overlook a proven alternative: specialized virtual medical scribes who combine human expertise with technology enhancement.

Virtual medical scribes from India and Pakistan often have healthcare educational backgrounds, while companies also source talent from the Philippines and other countries with strong medical documentation capabilities.

Advantages over AI tools:

Cost Predictability: Under $2,000 monthly for full-time specialist versus $200+ monthly for limited AI tools plus time for corrections and oversight.

Human Judgment: Complex medical documentation requires understanding context, implications, and nuanced medical situations that AI struggles with.

Customization: Virtual scribes learn specific practice preferences, terminology, and documentation styles.

Real-Time Support: Live assistance during patient encounters, not just post-visit processing.

Comprehensive Coverage: Handle both routine and complex cases without switching tools or methods.

Virtual Scribes vs. AI: The Real Comparison

Healthcare professionals comparing AI tools often don’t consider the virtual scribe alternative:

AI Scribing Tools:

• Monthly subscription fees ($100-$200+ per provider)
• Accuracy varies by case complexity
• Requires provider review and editing
• Limited customization options
• Integration challenges with some EMRs

Virtual Medical Scribes:

• Fixed monthly cost (under $2,000 for full-time)
• Consistent human accuracy across all case types
• Real-time clarification and adjustment
• Complete customization to practice preferences
• Work with any EMR system

For practices currently “paying 200+ dollars/month for 2 dragon users,” virtual scribes often cost less while providing superior results.

The Billing Reality Check

Healthcare professionals consistently report that AI billing solutions aren’t ready for small practices: “Cost is not worth implementing for my practice” and “you still end up needing a biller to chase down denials and appeals.”

Virtual billing specialists address these limitations:

• Handle complex denial management that AI can’t
• Provide cost-effective alternative to AI billing tools
• Offer human expertise for nuanced billing situations
• Work 24/7 across different time zones
• Integrate with existing practice workflows

Geographic and Quality Considerations

Healthcare professionals can benefit from virtual support teams with healthcare-specific backgrounds:

India and Pakistan: Many virtual medical scribes have nursing, medical assistant, or healthcare administration education.

Philippines: Strong English proficiency and medical documentation experience make Filipino virtual assistants effective for scribing roles.

Key Success Factors: Medical terminology knowledge, U.S. healthcare system familiarity, and proven documentation accuracy matter more than location.

All reputable virtual scribe providers ensure HIPAA compliance and secure data handling.

Implementation Success Stories

While AI tools require careful evaluation and often disappoint, virtual medical scribes consistently deliver results:

Family Practice: “Our virtual scribe handles all documentation during patient visits. I can focus entirely on the patient while getting accurate, complete notes ready for review immediately after the encounter.”

Urgent Care: “We replaced expensive Dragon licenses with virtual scribes who work our operating hours. Documentation is faster and more accurate than we achieved with dictation.”

Specialty Practice: “Our virtual scribe understands our complex procedures and produces detailed operative notes that AI tools couldn’t handle.”

Cost Analysis: AI Tools vs. Virtual Scribes

Healthcare professionals can compare real costs:

AI Tool Approach:

• Dragon: $200+ monthly for 2 users
• AI scribing tool: $100-200 monthly per provider
• Time for review and correction: 15-30 minutes per patient
• Total monthly cost: $300-400+ plus significant time investment

Virtual Medical Scribe:

• Full-time scribe: Under $2,000 monthly
• Real-time documentation: No post-visit review needed
• Handles unlimited providers and encounters
• Total monthly cost: Fixed, predictable, often less than AI tools

For multi-provider practices, virtual scribes provide superior economics and results.

Why Virtual Beats AI for Documentation?

Healthcare professional discussions reveal the limitations of current AI tools that virtual scribes overcome:

Context Understanding: Virtual scribes understand medical implications and relationships that AI misses.

Real-Time Interaction: Live support during encounters versus post-visit processing.

Complex Case Handling: “My surgical practice my dot phrases are more efficient still” – but virtual scribes handle complex cases AI can’t.

Customization: Learn specific provider preferences and practice workflows.

Reliability: Consistent quality across all encounter types without tool switching.

Stop Overpaying for AI That Needs Fixing

Healthcare professionals are spending hundreds monthly on AI tools that still require significant time investment and don’t handle complex cases well. Virtual medical scribes provide the “hours of my life back every day” results that AI promises but doesn’t consistently deliver.

Don’t get caught up in AI hype when proven virtual expertise costs less and works better.

Stop Paying for AI Experiments—Get Real Documentation Results

Skip the monthly AI subscriptions, integration challenges, and accuracy concerns. Our virtual medical scribes provide expert documentation from day one.

Risk-Free 30-Day Virtual Scribe Trial

✓ Dedicated Virtual Medical Scribe – Real-time documentation during patient encounters

✓ Replace Dragon + AI costs – Under $2,000 monthly vs $200+ for limited tools

✓ No accuracy concerns – Human expertise handles simple and complex cases perfectly

✓ Seamless EMR integration – Works with any system, no integration fees required

No monthly tool subscriptions. No post-visit editing. No AI accuracy frustrations.

Get the documentation support that actually gives you “hours of your life back every day” without the AI disappointments.

HIPAA-compliant. Healthcare-specialized. Proven results from day one.

Stop experimenting with AI. Start getting reliable documentation.

Disclaimer

For informational purposes only; not applicable to specific situations.

For tailored support and professional services

Please contact Staffingly, Inc. at (800) 489 5877

Email: support@staffingly.com

About This Blog: This Blog is brought to you by Staffingly, Inc., a trusted name in healthcare outsourcing. The team of skilled healthcare specialists and content creators is dedicated to improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. The team passionate about sharing knowledge through insightful articles, blogs, and other educational resources.