A study led by Mass General Brigham researchers has found that ambient documentation technologies—AI-powered scribes that automatically record patient visits and draft clinical notes for physician review—significantly reduce physician burnout and restore joy in medical practice. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, are based on surveys from over 1,400 physicians and advanced practice providers across Mass General Brigham and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. At Mass General Brigham, the use of ambient documentation was linked to a 21.2% absolute reduction in burnout prevalence after 84 days. Emory Healthcare reported a 30.7% absolute increase in documentation-related well-being after 60 days of use. These results suggest a powerful impact on provider mental health and job satisfaction. Rebecca Mishuris, MD, MPH, MS, chief medical information officer at Mass General Brigham and a primary care physician, said the technology has transformed the physician experience. “Ambient documentation has freed up doctors from their keyboards, allowing more meaningful face-to-face time with patients. Many say they’ve regained their nights and weekends and rediscovered the joy of practicing medicine. There’s no other intervention in health care that has such a profound effect on burnout.” Physician burnout affects over half of U.S. doctors and is strongly tied to time spent on electronic health records, especially after hours. The stress of completing notes and the anticipation of that workload contribute heavily to burnout, which in turn can compromise patient safety and access to care. Lisa Rotenstein, MD, MBA, co-senior author and director of the Center for Physician Experience and Practice Excellence at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, emphasized the national urgency of addressing burnout. “This is a widespread issue hospitals are trying to solve, and ambient documentation offers a scalable, promising solution worth further investigation.” The study analyzed survey responses from pilot users at both institutions. At Mass General Brigham, 873 providers were surveyed before the pilot and again at 42 and 84 days, with response rates of 30% and 22%, respectively. Emory’s 557 pilot users were surveyed before and after 60 days, with an 11% response rate. Researchers measured burnout and well-being using standardized tools. Qualitative feedback highlighted benefits such as improved patient and family engagement, renewed joy in practice, and the potential to fundamentally change the physician experience. However, some users reported that the technology added time to note completion or was less effective in certain specialties or visit types. Since the pilot began, the AI systems have evolved rapidly, with vendors refining features based on user input and ongoing improvements to the underlying large language models. The researchers caution that the results may reflect the experiences of early, enthusiastic adopters, and broader, longitudinal studies are needed. Mass General Brigham’s program started in July 2023 with 18 physicians and expanded to over 800 providers by July 2024. As of April 2025, ambient documentation is available to all Mass General Brigham physicians, with more than 3,000 routinely using the tools. The health system plans to extend access to nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists later this year. Ongoing research will track burnout rates, time spent on documentation, and long-term outcomes as the technology continues to develop. Jacqueline You, MD, MBI, lead author and digital clinical lead at Mass General Brigham, said the data, combined with provider stories, underscores the technology’s potential. “The ability to call more patients or go home to play with kids without note anxiety is powerful. But the burnout reduction data speaks volumes—this is a critical step forward, and we must keep studying it.”