How Ambient AI Listening Is Changing Clinical Workflows—And What Hospitals Need to Do Next
Estimated Read Time: 4.5 minutes
The healthcare industry is reaching a tipping point. Clinical burnout, staffing shortages, and mounting documentation demands are driving health systems to rethink how care is delivered—and how it’s recorded.
One of the most promising solutions? Ambient AI listening. These technologies use advanced natural language processing to “listen” during patient visits and generate draft clinical notes, dramatically reducing the time clinicians spend typing into the EHR.
But as this technology takes off, hospitals are realizing that the right software is only half the equation. To truly capitalize on AI-driven documentation, you also need the right device in clinicians’ hands.
Ambient AI: A Rising Trend in Healthcare
In recent months, ambient listening tools have moved from pilot programs to wide-scale rollouts. According to a 2024 MGMA report, over 40% of large health systems are actively investing in ambient clinical documentation tools, and that number is expected to climb sharply in 2025.
Studies show these tools can save clinicians up to 2 hours per day by offloading administrative work, freeing up more time for patient care and reducing after-hours charting.
But there’s a challenge. Many hospitals are trying to run cutting-edge AI on hardware that was never built for it.
Consumer Devices Can’t Keep Up
Ambient listening requires more than a microphone and an app. It needs:
- High-fidelity audio capture in noisy, clinical environments
- Multitasking support to record, document, and access EHR tools simultaneously
- Reliable network connectivity throughout the shift
- Strong endpoint security to protect patient data
Many consumer smartphones and even traditional Workstations on Wheels (WoWs) fall short in one or more of these areas. In some hospitals, staff are left sharing a limited pool of devices, which can delay care and reduce accountability. Others are waiting on IT provisioning, resulting in downtime when new staff or temp workers come on board. In environments with fragmented systems, clinicians often find themselves toggling between multiple platforms or devices: switching from a phone to a desktop, to a WoW, or even logging into entirely separate applications to complete a single task. This not only slows workflows but also increases frustration and the risk of documentation errors.
The result? AI tools that promise to save time can actually introduce friction when paired with the wrong hardware.
Enterprise Mobility That Works as Hard as AI Tools Do
When AI-powered tools such as ambient listening or auto-documentation are deployed on hardware that can’t meet the demands of clinical care, they create more friction than relief. To unlock the full potential of AI, healthcare organizations need mobile platforms built for clinical complexity, noise, and urgency.
These devices must capture clean voice data in busy environments, run AI workflows in real time, and integrate seamlessly with tools like Epic, all while protecting sensitive patient information and enabling smooth shifts between bedside and desktop documentation. According to a 2024 Medscape + HIMSS study, over 60% of hospitals plan to implement ambient listening tools within the next two years, but many haven’t evaluated whether their mobile infrastructure is ready to support them.
Without the right mobile platform, even the most sophisticated AI solutions can fall short, turning promise into frustration.
🔍 Meet the Device That Brings It All Together
Spectralink’s Versity 97 is the mobile platform healthcare teams can count on: AI-ready, Epic-compatible, and built for the realities of clinical care.
Purpose-built to support emerging tools like AI-powered ambient listening, Versity 97 delivers the high-performance mobile infrastructure these solutions require: AI-enhanced noise cancellation for accurate voice capture, a powerful Snapdragon processor for real-time processing, and enterprise-grade security to protect sensitive patient data.
But it’s not just ready for AI, it’s ready for the full spectrum of clinical workflows. From bedside documentation and barcode scanning to secure messaging and real-time alerts, Versity 97 streamlines tasks into one familiar, easy-to-use device backed by Spectralink’s growing ecosystem of trusted healthcare partners, including those leading the way in ambient AI. Pair it with the HDMI Dock to enable Desktop Mode, giving clinicians a seamless way to complete or review notes without logging into a separate system at the end of a shift.
All your workflows. One smart, secure solution. AI-ready. 👉 See how Versity 97 can power your AI strategy and simplify clinical mobility.
Contact your Spectralink rep today.