Kaiser Integrates Abridge's AI Note-Taking Tool Across 40 Hospitals

This partnership marks the most extensive deployment of Abridge’s generative AI tool to date, bringing the technology to more than 24,000 doctors within the Kaiser Permanente system.

Kaiser Permanente, a major integrated nonprofit healthcare system, has partnered with Abridge, a startup specializing in AI-driven medical note-taking technology, to implement the technology across its network. 

The rollout is set to cover 40 hospitals and over 600 medical offices in eight states, including Washington, DC. 

This partnership marks the most extensive deployment of Abridge’s generative AI tool to date, bringing the technology to more than 24,000 doctors within the Kaiser Permanente system.

Founded in 2018, Abridge has quickly gained traction in the healthcare sector, raising $212.5 million in funding, including a $150 million Series C round earlier this year. 

The startup’s AI platform enhances the speed and accuracy of clinical documentation by converting patient-clinician conversations into structured clinical note drafts in real time. 

The tool then integrates these notes into electronic health records (EHRs), streamlining the process for clinicians.

"We have a long history of successfully deploying proven technologies on a broad scale, as we continue to provide healthcare and services when, how, and where our patients need it," said Desiree Gandrup-Dupre, senior VP of Care Delivery Technology Services at Kaiser Permanente. 

She also emphasized that this was the largest implementation to date of ambient listening technology within the health system.

Abridge’s AI Tool

The primary objective of incorporating Abridge’s AI tool is to reduce the administrative burden on physicians, allowing them to focus more on patient care.

"By reducing administrative tasks, we're making it easier for our physicians to focus on patients and foster an environment where they can provide effective communication and transparency while meeting the individual needs of each patient who comes to them for care,” stated Ramin Davidoff, MD, executive medical director and chair of the board with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. 

Kaiser Permanente’s venture arm has also invested in Abridge, aligning with its commitment to integrating innovative technologies that enhance healthcare delivery. 

Abridge’s platform, which is available in more than 14 languages and across over 50 medical specialties, has been designed to improve the efficiency of clinical documentation while maintaining patient privacy and compliance with federal and state regulations.

"The Abridge technology was implemented after careful review and testing in our market and was very well received by both our patients and our clinicians," said Linda Tolbert, MD, executive medical director of the Washington Permanente Medical Group.

Shiv Rao, MD, CEO and Founder of Abridge, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We have worked together to test and meet the highest standards of a true enterprise-wide deployment—addressing scale, evaluation, quality control, as well as the complexity of clinical workflows and IT system integrations. We are excited to continue this work with Kaiser Permanente."

The implementation process has been methodical, with a strong emphasis on quality control and patient privacy. 

Kaiser Permanente takes patient consent before using the AI tool, and clinicians are required to review and verify clinical notes before they are added to a patient’s medical record.

The technology has already been deployed at several other major health systems, including the University of Vermont Health System, Yale New Haven Health System, and UPMC, among others. 

Last month, Abridge announced a collaboration with Mayo Clinic and Epic to develop an AI-based documentation workflow specifically for nurses.