Implementation of Dragon Ambient Experience by Plastic Surgery Residents Improves Wellness and Decreases Burnout: A Pilot Study

Background: Burnout is a significant issue for plastic surgery residents, often worsened by administrative burdens such as clinical documentation. This study examined whether the Dragon Ambient Experience (DAX), a Microsoft artificial intelligence–powered tool integrated with Epic, can reduce documentation-related burdens and enhance resident wellness by increasing efficiency in completing clinic notes. Methods: In this pilot study, 6 plastic surgery residents received a 6-month DAX license. Participants completed presurveys assessing wellness, burnout, and job satisfaction using validated tools, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and Mini-Z scales. They also recorded weekly hours spent on documentation outside clinic hours. Postsurveys were collected after 6 months to measure changes in these metrics. Results: At baseline, 2 out of 6 participants reported understanding care plans, and 3 out of 6 were able to give patients undivided attention. The mean Mini-Z score was 2.5 (moderate burnout), and the NASA-TLX workload score was 74.64 (high mental workload). Participants spent an average of 3.6 hours per week on documentation outside clinic hours. After DAX implementation, the NASA-TLX score decreased significantly to 51.94 ( P = 0.04), and documentation time dropped to 0.75 hours per week ( P = 0.02). The Mini-Z score slightly increased to 2.83; however, this was not statistically significant ( P = 0.73). Conclusions: Our data highlighted documentation burdens on plastic surgery residents that significantly improved with the implementation of DAX, making it an important means of improving ambulatory workflow and resident wellness in plastic surgery.