Augmedix

Augmedix is an artificial intelligence-powered service platform that assists physicians and medical care providers with electronic health record-keeping. Augmedix can be integrated with smartphone applications and Google glass, smart glasses developed by the technology company Google, which allow doctors and other care providers to view patient charts and records without having to access a computer.

Google Glass wearable provided by Augmedix

Augmedix works by allowing remote electronic health record (EHR) specialists to observe provider and patient interactions through a smartphone interface or Google Glass. Remote EHR specialists use AI and natural language processing (NLP) speech-to-text to transcribe a patient visit. The Augmedix program also allows the EHR specialist to choose from automated sentences to increase transcription efficacy. After the notation is complete, the AI automates and prioritizes the data to provide organization and structure to the medical chart, and the chart is then uploaded to the hospital's EHR system for provider signature.

Augmedix's product is challenged by the problem of context. Natural language processing is not always able to interpret context, and the algorithms used by Augmedix rely on proximity to identify phrases in a conversation that relate to the same topic This heuristic is not always capable of distinguishing contextual conversation–such as a discussion of low-probability diagnoses being tested for ruling out, versus a potential diagnosis being discussed at the same time. Another can be the use of the pronoun "it" during a discussion or use of a pointing gesture that a human physician can interpret but Augmedix's natural language processing and artificial intelligence cannot necessarily understand.

To help with these challenges, Augmedix uses human input in the form of scribes to do much of the contextual understanding and heavy lifting work while the company develops their natural language processing algorithms for increasing efficiency.

Augmedix is also working to develop their service so it is able to be used on all augmented reality technology and not just Google Glass. These ideas extend to developing their service on more than a single natural language processing program for similar reasons.

Demonstration of Augmedix's technology.

Augmedix went public during a reverse merger with Malo Holdings, a former Augmedix subsidiary, on October 5, 2020. Malo Holdings was a Florida-based company focused on providing commercial support services in the industrial industry. As a part of the merger deal, $25 million was given for private placement.