Primary Care Matters

(From the January 2026 issue of MedStat)

Advancement With Intention: My Experience With an AI Scribe

by Jonathan Mathis, MD, FAAP

For most of my career, I viewed the electronic health record as both a necessity and a nemesis, vital to patient care but draining in every other sense. Evenings often ended with a laptop still open, notes half-finished and a sense that my professional documentation was taking more time than the patients themselves. I often asked myself: Is this sustainable? That question became the starting point for my exploration of AI-enabled charting.

I first heard about AI medical scribes through peer discussions and professional meetings. I was skeptical. Could a software algorithm really capture the nuance of a pediatric visit, the tone of a parent’s concern, the developmental subtleties and the rapport built in a few minutes? Still, curiosity and fatigue coexisted, and that combination pushed me to pilot an AI scribe integrated with our Athena system.

Implementation was seamless. The system records natural conversation in the exam room and generates a structured clinical note ready for review. Over time, it became clear: The scribe was not perfect, but it was reliable enough to trust and its benefits quickly outweighed the learning curve.

Before using an AI scribe, documentation consumed a disproportionate share of my day. I often stayed late or logged in after hours to finish notes. Within weeks of adoption, my workflow changed entirely. I could complete most charts the same day, often before the patient left the office.

The AI scribe handles histories and physicals with surprising fidelity and learns patterns over time. I still review and edit, but instead of starting from scratch, I refine. The difference is not incremental; it’s transformative. My after-hours charting has dropped by more than half. That’s not just efficiency; it’s recovery of time and mental bandwidth.

Restoring Work-Life Balance

The greatest change isn’t in how I document; it’s in how I feel. I leave the office with fewer unfinished tasks, more mental clarity and less guilt about what remains undone. My family notices the difference; I’m more present. I can think creatively again, not just reactively.

Physicians often speak about burnout as if it’s a fixed state, but I’ve learned that efficiency and rest are deeply moral issues in medicine. When we’re exhausted, empathy suffers. When technology removes unnecessary friction, empathy returns. AI didn’t replace my work; it restored my ability to focus on the parts of medicine that matter most: listening, connecting, teaching.

Colleague Reactions and Cultural Shift

Among my colleagues, reactions have ranged from intrigue to cautious optimism. Many ask, “Does it really save that much time?” My honest answer is yes, with caveats. It works best for those willing to adapt their workflow and maintain oversight.

A few peers have since begun pilots of their own. Others prefer to wait and see. That’s natural. Adoption of new tools in medicine always follows a familiar arc: first skepticism; then curiosity; then quiet acceptance as results speak for themselves. Our younger physicians adapt fastest; they see technology as an enabler, not a threat.

Support staff appreciate the efficiency as well. Fewer charting delays mean smoother follow-up, cleaner documentation and fewer bottlenecks for billing or referrals. The ripple effects are organizational, not just personal.

Reflections on AI in Health Care and Life

My experience using an AI scribe has been both positive and eye-opening. It has reminded me that balance demands discipline. Overreliance or blind trust in automation can compromise accuracy, safety and the professional judgment that anchors good medicine. AI can listen and summarize, but it cannot care, contextualize or comfort. Those responsibilities remain uniquely ours. The technology is an asset, not a substitute, and leveraging it well requires vigilance, intention and a firm commitment to clinical integrity.

Closing Thoughts

For me, this journey began as an experiment in efficiency and ended as an exercise in perspective. I now see AI not as a tool of replacement, but as one of restoration. It reminds me that innovation is only meaningful when it helps us reclaim our humanity.

If you’re considering an AI scribe, begin with curiosity but anchor it with discernment. Review your notes carefully, learn their strengths and set clear boundaries. But also, notice what happens when your time returns, and you restore work-life balance.

For the first time in years, I leave the clinic feeling like the work is complete and that simple shift has changed both my practice and my peace.

About the Author

Jonathan Mathis, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician and emerging physician executive with interests in health equity, operational innovation and AI-driven health care transformation. He serves on several institutional boards and is completing an Executive MBA with an applied certificate in business and AI analytics. Dr. Mathis works at the intersection of clinical care, policy and technology to improve access, efficiency and patient experience across diverse communities.