Mercy uses AI to save time, reduce documentation errors

Mercy Health used an artificial intelligence tool to summarize patients’ emergency department stays, reducing charting errors by 60%, according to AONL member and Senior Vice President and CNE Betty Jo Rocchio, DNP, RN. The tool eliminated the need for ED nurses at the St. Louis, Mo.-based system to search disparate data, such as physician orders and electronic health information, and then relay the information to the next member of the care team. The tool also identified breakdowns in care coordination. Rocchio spoke as part of a panel on AI and nursing. Panelists also discussed how AI could schedule nurse shifts to prioritize work-life balance. Rocchio emphasized the importance of front-line and informatics nurses developing and testing AI before hospitals deploy it widely. (HealthLeaders Media article, 7/30/24)