AI is helping orthopaedic surgeons change the way they practice medicine
From virtual scribes to planning complex surgical cases, UCI Health expert says new tools enhance clinical workflows
IN THE NEWS: More medical practices are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their workflows. UCI Health orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Nitin Bhatia spoke with Becker’s Spine Review about the many changes that have occurred in orthopaedic practices.
Bhatia and his team have integrated AI-based scribes that comply with federal patient privacy laws into their electronic medical record. This scribing process is much better than what was available three years ago, he says, and it continues to improve each month. The team is also using AI to help plan complex surgeries. He believes that adoption of it will increase.
“This integration is not eliminating people from our classic roles, but enhancing our ability to perform our work more accurately and more efficiently.”
Bhatia is a board-certified UCI Health orthopaedic and spine surgeon. He is an internationally recognized specialist in spine surgery, spine trauma and spinal cord injuries. He is also the chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Bhatia has expertise in all areas of spinal pathology, including adult and pediatric scoliosis, complex spine surgery, degenerative cervical disorders, thoracic and lumbar spine, minimally invasive spine surgery, orthopaedic surgery, robot-assisted spine surgery, spinal stenosis and spinal tumors.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,461-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Health — Orange, its flagship hospital, the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital and medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Health — Orange provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).