MAY 20, 2026 – Defense Health Network Central providers are using a new tool to streamline clinical documentation and improve patient-provider interactions.
The Defense Health Agency initiated a phased rollout of its new ambient listening technology in February 2026, following a successful pilot at four military medical treatment facilities.
Ambient listening technology uses advanced voice recognition to analyze conversations between patients and providers during medical appointments, automatically generating draft clinical notes for review and integration into electronic health records. This innovation is designed to reduce administrative workload for medical staff, allowing providers to spend more time focusing on direct patient care and improving clinical outcomes.
A six-week limited fielding of the technology was conducted from Oct. 31 to Dec. 11, 2025, at Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia; and Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Feedback from providers and patients during the pilot was overwhelmingly positive, with many noting improved quality and completeness of documentation, enhanced patient engagement, and greater provider satisfaction.
“Providers and patients have all been very excited about this new capability,” said Dr. Jeffrey Lawson, Defense Health Network Central assistant director for Medical Affairs. “Providers can now spend more time engaging with patients versus having to spend time looking at computer screens.”
Lawson emphasized that ambient listening ensures more accurate notes are generated immediately, improving communication between providers and supporting safer care.
Patients can provide feedback on the new initiative using existing options, such as Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE), Joint Outpatient Experience Survey (JOES), or by contacting a patient advocate.
Lt. Col. (Dr.) Peter Easter, a pediatrician at Wilford Hall, described the technology as transformative.
“It allows us to make eye contact with our patients, to lean in, listen, and have more involved conversations,” Easter said. “When that happens, it opens the door for more in-depth explorations of patient and family concerns.”
He noted that while the technology may not always reduce documentation time, it significantly improves the quality and completeness of clinical notes, helping providers catch action items and streamline visits.
Col. (Dr.) Stephen Edstrom, a psychiatrist at Wilford Hall, reported a dramatic reduction in documentation time.
“My intakes prior to the pilot would take me about 30 to 45 minutes to complete documentation,” Edstrom said. “With the pilot, I can have the intake note done in five to 10 minutes. The notes are very high quality and capture the meat of the appointment.”
Patients have also responded positively.
“My provider was able to focus more on me and my concerns,” said Marcy Edwards, the wife of an Air Force retiree. “Without a doubt, I knew I was heard and we understood each other. I felt more of a connection to my provider with the technology in use.”
Edwards said she would recommend the technology to other patients, citing its unobtrusive nature and the added assurance of accurate records.
DHA officials stress that patient privacy and security remain paramount. All audio and documentation are protected using secure, cyber-compliant controls, and verbal consent is required before ambient listening is used during appointments. Providers review and edit draft notes for accuracy before they are finalized in the health record, ensuring transparency and timely access to information.
Saniah Fatemi, of DHA’s Digital Health Integration Office, noted, “A draft note is seamlessly populated directly into the health record, which must be reviewed (and edited, if necessary) by the provider to ensure accuracy before signing and submitting into the health record.”
DHA is also monitoring provider satisfaction and wellbeing through surveys, with plans to measure feedback at multiple points during the enterprise deployment.
Ambient listening technology is expected to be available at all military hospitals and clinics in the coming months, marking a significant step forward in DHA’s commitment to leveraging new tools and technologies to improve the patient-provider care experience.
“I remember the days of hand-written charts,” Lawson said.“(W)hat we have now is spectacular in comparison.”
Story by Jason W. Edwards
Defense Health Network Central