A Canadian AI-powered medical scribe program, called Scribenote, has secured $8.2 million in seed funding to address escalating burnout in the veterinary profession.
The idea was founded in 2019 by a University of Waterloo student, Ryan Gallagher, whose veterinary sister was struggling with long hours due to paperwork, and noted that many details from appointments could be transcribed in real-time without additional labour. Scribenote’s technology captures audio during appointments and automatically generates accurate medical records.
A fundamental culprit that leads to mass burnout and severe stress among 86 percent of veterinarians is the substantial time spent organizing medical records. Scribenote proposes to help alleviate this problem by streamlining documentation processes, which will allow veterinarians to focus more attention on animal care.
Hundreds of clinics across North America are now using the platform, which has already automated over 1.5 million records. By automating the tedious process of record-keeping, Scribenote emphasizes its capacity to empower veterinary professionals to reclaim up to two hours of their workday.
Scribenote’s success has been fueled by backing from investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Inovia Capital. The company plans to use the funding to further develop its AI technology, aiming to create personalized AI scribes for every veterinarian.
This innovative Canadian startup could potentially transform the veterinary industry, helping professionals streamline their workload so they can focus more on patient care and strengthen relationships with pet owners.