The demand for AI medical assistants and scribes has surged over the past year, with startups in the space rapidly growing to help healthcare providers save time on documentation. Now, established players want a piece of the action. Zoom, the most popular video-conferencing platform in the U.S. for telehealth visits, is stepping into the medical AI arena with a partnership with Suki, an AI scribe startup.
Zoom enters the healthcare AI market
On Tuesday, Zoom announced its collaboration with Suki, an AI medical scribe provider, to offer doctors on its platform an AI tool that can take notes during consultations with patients. This partnership aims to streamline telehealth consultations by allowing doctors to focus on patients while Suki’s AI scribe handles the note-taking. According to Definitive Healthcare, Zoom is used for about 36% of all telehealth visits in the United States, making it a significant player in healthcare delivery.
Zoom’s CEO, Eric Yuan, has previously stated that the company is expanding beyond video conferencing and aiming to become a leader in AI tools for workplaces. This partnership with Suki aligns with that vision, integrating advanced AI capabilities into Zoom’s existing telehealth services.
5 Best AI medical scribes according to clinicians
Why Suki?
Suki, founded by Punit Soni, offers a digital assistant that helps doctors manage administrative tasks, especially medical note-taking, allowing clinicians to devote more attention to patients. Soni mentioned that Zoom evaluated all AI medical scribe startups before choosing Suki as its partner. Earlier this month, Suki secured $70 million in a Series D funding round, which will help the company expand its services and enhance its AI technology.
By integrating Suki’s technology, Zoom is enhancing the telehealth experience for doctors and patients. The AI-powered scribe listens during consultations and generates accurate notes, saving doctors from the burden of paperwork and letting them focus more on patient care.
Amazon’s One medical also Joins the race
Zoom isn’t the only big name venturing into AI-powered healthcare solutions. Amazon-owned One Medical recently announced that it is integrating AI tools to help clinicians reduce their administrative workload. Instead of partnering with an external startup, One Medical is leveraging Amazon’s in-house technology—Bedrock and AWS HealthScribe—to offer note-taking services for clinicians.
Amazon’s approach reflects its strategy of using proprietary tools to build integrated AI solutions, showing the growing interest among tech giants in streamlining healthcare workflows and improving productivity for medical professionals.
The booming AI medical scribe market
AI scribes have quickly gained popularity across both large healthcare systems and smaller clinics. These tools save healthcare providers hours of administrative work, making them attractive to doctors who would rather focus on patient care. With the rise of telehealth, such tools have become even more essential in helping doctors manage their workload.
Besides Suki, other startups in the medical scribe space are also making waves. Abridge, for instance, reportedly raised $250 million at a $2.5 billion valuation, focusing on serving large medical systems. Startups like Nabla and Ambience Healthcare are also establishing themselves in this market. Even established players like Microsoft are entering the space, with Microsoft’s Nuance providing AI-powered note-taking tools for healthcare providers.
Differentiation in a crowded market
Despite the crowded nature of the AI medical scribe market, investors believe there is still room for differentiation. Each company caters to specific segments of the healthcare market—for example, Abridge targets larger healthcare systems, while others are tailored for smaller medical offices. This specialization helps companies stand out in a competitive landscape.
Though there is a risk that general-purpose AI models may eventually replace dedicated AI medical scribe startups, investors are confident that these companies have enough unique features to hold their ground. For now, healthcare providers are benefiting from a variety of AI tools that enhance efficiency and improve patient care.
Image credits: Google Deepmind/Unsplash
