The Future of Clinical Documentation: Athenahealth’s Ambient Notes
Introducing Ambient Notes
In 2024, athenahealth introduced Ambient Notes, a revolutionary solution that utilizes ambient listening and generative AI to generate clinical documentation directly within the athenaOne clinical workflow. This innovative technology has the potential to transform the way healthcare providers document patient care, saving time and improving accuracy.
A Conversation with Chad Dodd
At the 2025 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, MobiHealthNews sat down with Chad Dodd, Vice President of Product Management at athenahealth, to discuss the company’s AI-enabled products and how they differentiate themselves from competitors.
AI-Enabled Solutions
"We’ve had tech-enabled solutions using AI for the last eight to 10 years," said Dodd. "Most recently, we’ve released our Ambient Note solution, which is probably the most forward-thinking AI solution that exists at athena and across the healthcare ecosystem."
Ambient Notes in Action
Through Ambient Notes, a patient provider can have a discussion and dialogue, and then athenahealth’s AI technology summarizes the conversation into a draft note and inserts it directly into the chart for the physician. This simplifies the documentation process, making it easier for providers to focus on patient care rather than paperwork.
Distinguishing Features
"What sets us apart from our competitors is that our solution is fully integrated into the athena experience," explained Dodd. "The node goes directly into the athena workflow, so with one click, it’s automatically inserted into the chart, where it can be reviewed and signed, and then closed on the same day."
Tailoring the Experience
Athenahealth also provides access to different AI solution sets, allowing providers to tailor their experience to their specific needs. "We know that one physician documents differently than another physician, so we want to be able to tailor that experience specifically for that clinician themselves," said Dodd.
HIMSS 2025
When asked about his experience at HIMSS, Dodd noted, "HIMSS has been wonderful. It’s great to connect with healthcare IT experts, customers, and partners who are bringing the healthcare ecosystem together to talk about some of the challenges the industry has, but also to bring forward new solutions that are going to help our patients and our providers alike."
Conclusion
Athenahealth’s Ambient Notes has the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare providers document patient care, making it easier, faster, and more accurate. By integrating ambient listening and generative AI into the athenaOne clinical workflow, athenahealth is leading the way in healthcare technology innovation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ambient Notes?
Ambieent Notes is a solution that uses ambient listening and generative AI to generate clinical documentation within the athenaOne clinical workflow. - How does Ambient Notes work?
Ambient Notes allows providers to have a discussion and dialogue with patients, and then athenahealth’s AI technology summarizes the conversation into a draft note and inserts it directly into the chart. - What sets athenahealth apart from competitors?
athenahealth’s solution is fully integrated into the athena experience, allowing providers to tailor their experience to their specific needs and providing access to different AI solution sets.
