For years, computers have become a staple in modern healthcare, but instead of empowering clinicians, they have forced them into a digital assembly line. In a single 10-hour shift, an ED physician can perform up to 4,000 clicks (1), each one pulling their attention away from what matters the most: caring for patients.
Naturally, engineers have tried to fix this, but progress was fragmented. Dictation emerged first, evolving from voice recorders to speech recognition tools. Then came voice-command in the 2010s, but most attempts failed. Now, LLMs and Ambient AI are having their moment, leading many to declare that dictation is outdated, like dinosaurs or well… dragons.
But clinicians don’t think in these siloes; they don’t separate their workflow into distinct technological categories; they just need help that works.
Take me, Dr. Lee, a busy primary care physician. In the morning, I dictate quick updates into my EHR before clinic starts. During patient visits, I rely on my ambient assistant that accurately captures the documentation for my encounters. Between appointments, I would love to issue commands—"Prescribe Amoxicillin 1000mg orally twice daily for 10 days, no refills"—while walking down the hall.
Our goal at Nabla is to empower clinicians with that seamless experience. Because AI in healthcare is not about adding more tools, it’s about removing obstacles. We believe that the future of AI assistance is not for clinicians to choose between Dictate, Command, or Ambient. The true breakthrough lies at the intersection of all three: an AI that listens, understands, and acts, operating like a silent and intelligent partner for practitioners.
Today, we’re taking the next step in our journey toward a complete AI assistant for clinicians.
Introducing Nabla Dictation
Nabla Dictation is a fast and intuitive dictation solution, designed to integrate seamlessly into every clinician’s workflow, across 55+ specialties. Paired with Nabla’s ambient AI, Nabla Dictation leverages some our users’ favorite features, such as the personal dictionary.
Clinicians can expect state-of-the-art dictation that they can easily get started with:
- Automatic punctuation for a smoother experience, allowing clinicians to focus on content rather than formatting
- Seamless compatibility with any microphone and optimized to dictate at cursor anywhere
- EHR integration for a truly connected workflow
At Nabla, we’re not just reducing administrative burden; we’re building AI that restores the joy of clinical practice, brings back meaningful patient interactions, and gives clinicians the freedom to focus on what truly matters—caring for patients.
And we’re not done yet. But that’s a story for another post — stay tuned!
