4x Faster SOAP Notes, 10x Faster Discharges: Dr. Sorbo’s AI Transformation at Mill Brook
As a roving veterinarian, Dr. Kristian Sorbo has seen it all; having practiced in dozens of hospitals, he knows what truly sets the great ones apart. He now serves as the medical director at Mill Brook Animal Clinic, a full-service hospital in Arlington, Massachusetts. Passionate about providing exceptional customer service and quality pet care, Dr. Sorbo has expanded the hospital’s services to include dentistry, echocardiography, and abdominal sonography and has moved on to upgrading its technology stack.
Historically, the clinic used a server-based practice information management system (PIMS). Its primary utilization was billing, while all patient information and SOAP notes were maintained on paper. This system posed significant risks of lost records and missed charges; additionally, the server would often crash, disrupting clinic operations. To elevate their standards, the clinic switched to Digitail.
What Set Digitail Apart
Dr. Sorbo praised the company’s customer-focused approach: “One word: curiosity…the team’s ethos is to be curious about what the end user wants.” He highlighted exceptional customer service and called it superior to other practice management systems he’d researched.
Key Benefits of Tails AI
Client Communication: Dr. Sorbo uses Tails AI to craft client emails explaining complex diagnoses in accessible language. The AI customizes messaging based on client preferences – pragmatic or empathetic – and includes translation capabilities. He recently used it to translate discharge instructions into Portuguese for a Brazilian client.
SOAP Note Transcription: Compared to other voice-to-text solutions, Dr. Sorbo finds Tails AI’s accuracy significantly superior. Dictation with editing is approximately four times faster than typing, and ten times quicker for discharge recommendations.
Smart Call Summaries: The platform’s new phone call summarization feature helps maintain thorough medical histories. Dr. Sorbo envisions how consolidated call records could reveal patterns – such as multiple vomiting incidents over years – prompting proactive diagnostics like ultrasounds.
Business Impact
Enhanced client education through personalized communication increases treatment compliance. The technology reduces provider stress by minimizing administrative review time, allowing more time with patients and improved community care capacity.
Philosophy on AI Integration
Dr. Sorbo emphasizes: “Judicious use of new technology will help us practice better medicine.” He advocates treating technology as a trusted colleague – an enhancement tool rather than a replacement for veterinary expertise.
He concludes that Digitail has become essential: “I can’t imagine operating with other PIMS now.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- AI dictation is dramatically faster than any alternative:
Dr. Sorbo found Tails AI “far superior” to other voice-to-text solutions in accuracy and convenience. Notes arrive in SOAP format immediately, no copying between tabs. - Personalized client communication builds relationships:
Tails AI drafts client emails explaining complex diagnoses in accessible language, adapting tone and even translating discharge instructions into Portuguese for a Brazilian client. - Smart call summaries reveal hidden patterns:
Consolidated phone call records can surface patterns like recurring symptoms over years, prompting proactive diagnostics that improve patient outcomes.
WATCH OUTS & LESSONS LEARNED
- Use technology to enhance, not replace:
“If you remove your responsibility and use AI to lighten your workload, then you’re doing it wrong. But if you use it to enhance your work performance, then you’re using it right.”
