A Smarter Rhythm for Cardiology: Dr. Patel on the Future of AI-Driven Documentation
February 5, 2026•5 min read
I’ve used every kind of dictation and scribe tool. Heidi is the first that actually feels like it works with me—not just for me."
Dr. Salil Patel, MD
Cardiologist
Section Name: BlockContentHighlights
Key outcomes:
Saved roughly 1 hour per day by finishing notes within clinic hours
Maintains full narrative accuracy for complex cardiac consults
Seamlessly integrates Heidi with eClinicalWorks (ECW) through browser workflow
Eliminated the need for manual transcription or double dictation
Building next-generation imaging templates for CT and PET reports
Background
After more than 20 years in practice, Dr. Patel has seen every phase of medical documentation. From cassette tapes to Dragon, nothing fully bridged the gap between accuracy and efficiency.
“I’ve had dictations sent overseas, used every version of Dragon, built macros, dot phrases, you name it. They all solved 30 percent of the problem.”
He manages a high-volume outpatient clinic, often seeing 25–30 patients a day. For years, he’d spend evenings reconstructing consults from memory—an hour or more after clinic hours.
Challenges
1. Documentation time and fatigue: Rebuilding complex cardiac histories after hours was mentally draining. Even with dictation, every system required manual correction.
“If I didn’t dictate immediately, I’d lose the nuance. Then I’d stay late fixing it.”
2. Workflow fragmentation: Most tools couldn’t fit around his ECW-based workflow.
“Some tools wanted me to change how I charted. I needed something that could fit into my process—not rewrite it.”
3. Loss of patient presence: Typing or editing mid-consult made it harder to engage with patients about lifestyle and family history—often the most important part of a cardiology visit.
Solution
Dr. Patel started using Heidi in early 2024 and quickly replaced his patchwork system of Dragon dictation, Word templates, and EMR macros.
“Heidi isn’t flashy—it’s just smart. It listens, it understands, and it gives me a note I can trust.”
What stood out:
Context linking between visits, helping track longitudinal cardiac histories.
Customizable note prompts, allowing quick in-line refinements (“expand on stress test results,” “summarize EKG findings”).
One adaptive template that adjusts automatically for consults, follow-ups, and chronic visits.
Offline-friendly browser workflow, letting him paste final notes directly into ECW without integration headaches.
Workflow Walkthrough
Before clinic: Dr. Patel uses a self-built Excel macro to export the next day’s ECW schedule. He formats names, loads them into Heidi, and creates pre-labeled sessions for each patient.
“It’s a bit nerdy, but I like being organized. When I walk in, every patient’s session is already waiting.”
During visits: He starts Heidi as he enters the room. The system captures the full dialogue—exam findings, medication reviews, and plan discussions—without needing typed input.
“It feels like having a silent assistant that never forgets what was said.”
After clinic: He reviews any incomplete notes, adds targeted prompts (“clarify risk factors,” “expand on hypertension”), and pastes the clean version into ECW.
He also uses his notes as training data—editing inside Heidi so the model gradually adopts his phrasing and structure.
“It learns my tone over time. I spend less time fixing small things.”
Impact
Time reclaimed
Roughly 1 hour saved per day, primarily from reduced after-hours charting.
Consistent, same-day completion of all notes.
Improved quality and consistency
Captures subtleties like test interpretations and referral rationales that generic templates often miss.
More precise documentation improves continuity and coding.
Better patient engagement
“I’m not typing or toggling screens anymore. I’m looking my patient in the eye.”
Lower cognitive load
He no longer juggles half-finished notes or transcription files—everything is organized in Heidi’s session archive.
What’s Next
Dr. Patel is collaborating with Heidi’s product team to build structured imaging templates for CT and PET reports. His goal: dictate key measurements and have Heidi assemble complete, formatted interpretations instantly.
He’s also advocating for session archiving and patient-history linking, so longitudinal care is cleaner and faster.
“My dream is to say, ‘Generate my standard cardiac CT report—just change the ejection fraction and findings,’ and it’s done.”
For Dr. Patel, Heidi has become more than a time-saver—it’s the foundation for how he’s reimagining cardiology documentation.
“Even without integration, Heidi already fits my rhythm. It’s made documentation finally feel like part of patient care, not paperwork.”
