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 is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.