Separating AI Hype from Clinical Reality AI Workshop | September 2026-Direct Access Colonoscopy

Pdf Summary

The presentation describes how The Oregon Clinic Gastroenterology improved its Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) workflow by adopting an AI virtual care assistant in summer 2024. Previously, DAC intake depended on 30–40 minute phone calls with nurses or medical assistants, which was inefficient, hard to complete because patients often missed calls, and created a growing backlog. Nurses were spending significant time on calls, prep instructions, and prescriptions, making the process costly and difficult to scale.<br /><br />The new AI-based process starts with referral sorting to remove obvious ambulatory surgery center exclusion cases. Eligible patients are notified through the patient portal and sent a text or email link to complete a structured questionnaire at their convenience, usually in 10–15 minutes. The virtual assistant sends reminders for several weeks until the questionnaire is completed. Staff then review the AI-generated summary in the portal and take one of three actions: approve the patient for scheduling, contact the patient or physician for clarification, or deny DAC and route the patient to an office visit.<br /><br />Implementation included a pilot, PDSA cycles, frequent meetings with the vendor, refinement of questions, and training of nurses. The team also established reporting, reminder workflows, and scheduling processes. Key lessons included the need for persistent follow-up with nonresponders, careful monitoring of response rates, and ongoing adjustment based on feedback from patients, referring providers, and staff.<br /><br />The results suggest meaningful labor cost reduction over time and better scalability. The clinic also sees additional potential uses for the AI tool, including recalls, marketing QR codes, website access, research chart screening, and scribe functions.

Asset Subtitle

Paul Krull, MBA

Keywords

Direct Access Colonoscopy

AI virtual care assistant

Oregon Clinic Gastroenterology

workflow improvement

patient questionnaire

patient portal

nurse time reduction

referral screening

PDSA cycles

scalability