How Heidi is helping Dr. Nick save time and improve patient care in Emergency departments all across Australia

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Background

Dr. Nick is a seasoned emergency doctor with over 15 years of experience. After starting his career in the UK, he relocated to Australia to enjoy a more dynamic work environment and access better resources in emergency medicine. As an early adopter of technology, Dr. Nick has always been enthusiastic about finding ways to enhance his workflow and patient care. He practices in both metropolitan and rural settings, with a special interest in providing medical services to remote areas. Whether he’s dealing with a complex case in a bustling city hospital or providing vital care in the outback, Dr. Nick thrives on the variety and challenges his work offers.

“I love the complexity of my job here,” Dr. Nick shares. “It’s rewarding to work in areas with high need, especially in rural places where resources are scarce and you really feel like you’re making a difference.”

Challenges

Dr. Nick faced several challenges common in emergency medicine, particularly the balancing act between high patient volume and time-consuming administrative tasks.

Time-consuming documentation

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The sheer amount of time spent on writing notes was a major bottleneck in his workflow, impacting his ability to focus on seeing more patients.

He recalls a particularly busy day: “I remember seeing four critical patients in an hour, intense cases like trauma and respiratory distress. And then, when it came time to document everything, I was stuck for an hour, just trying to catch up. It wasn’t just tiring; it was frustrating, knowing that I was missing out on helping more patients.”

Clunky technology

Despite trying various voice-to-text solutions, Dr. Nick found that the existing technology didn’t meet his needs adequately, leaving him frustrated with inefficient workflows.

“I was using Dragon and some other voice software for years. It was supposed to make things faster, but I always had to correct things, and the microphone setup was cumbersome - even though that interface improved significantly in the last few years” Dr. Nick explained. “It took longer to troubleshoot than just writing the notes myself.”

Balancing administrative work with patient care

As his administrative tasks grew more complex, Dr. Nick realized that the time spent on documentation kept him from focusing on patient care, affecting his overall efficiency.

“It was a constant juggling act. I’d see a patient, get them stabilized, move on to the next one - but then the documentation piled up. Sometimes I would stay late just to finish it. And that was not sustainable.”

Dr. Nick had tried multiple solutions over the years, but none had truly solved the issue of managing documentation while providing excellent patient care - until he discovered Heidi.

Solution

Dr. Nick first witnessed Heidi in action in a rural clinic and quickly realised its potential to improve his workflow. After a year of using the tool, he’s become a dedicated user, appreciating its efficiency and ease of integration into his practice.

“Heidi has helped me a lot by being able to collect notes relatively quickly, and I can just check them on my phone or desktop.”

He found that the integration of Heidi into his practice allowed him to cut down the time spent on documentation significantly, leading to more time spent with patients and less stress from administrative work.

Impact

The ultimate benefit of Heidi for Dr. Nick was the increased capacity to see more patients without sacrificing the quality of care.

“It allows you to see more patients faster, whilst not compromising on the quality of your medical notes.”

Key outcomes:

• 40% reduction in time spent on documentation
• Increased patient volume, allowing Dr. Nick to see more patients each day
• Reduced cognitive load and mental strain, improving Dr. Nick's work-life balance

Reinvesting your time where it matters

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By reducing the time spent on documentation, Dr. Nick could reallocate his time towards more meaningful tasks, whether that's seeing more patients or mentoring colleagues.

Dr. Nick shared an anecdote: “There was this one day when we had a major accident with multiple casualties. With Heidi, I didn’t have to worry about being buried in paperwork. My notes were ready in a fraction of the time. I could keep an eye on the patients, make decisions faster, and collaborate with my team.”

Seamless tech set up

Heidi's streamlined system made it far easier for Dr. Nick to capture and organize notes without the hassle of older, clunky software, improving his workflow.

Dr. Nick recalls, “When I switched to Heidi, it was like a breath of fresh air. Everything just works smoothly.” 

“You can log in everywhere, check the information, or get the nurses to collect information for you. It's really fun.”

Balancing administrative work with patient care

With the reduction in documentation time, Dr. Nick could focus more on his patients, alleviating the pressure of administrative work and allowing for a smoother, more efficient workflow.

Unexpected Benefit:

“The coolness factor. Everyone says  ‘Wow, how do you do that?’ They're fascinated.”

Aside from the practical benefits, Dr. Nick enjoyed the positive reaction from colleagues and patients, appreciating how Heidi not only improved his efficiency but also added an element of excitement to his practice.

What’s next

With Heidi, Dr. Nick is empowered to see more patients and focus on high-priority tasks rather than being overwhelmed by documentation. As he continues to explore Heidi's capabilities, he looks forward to discovering new features and refining his workflow further.

“It would be extremely annoying and time-consuming to go back to the older style.”

“I’m looking forward to Heidi releasing the new functions and streamlining my workflow further.”

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