How C5 Alliance and Medical Specialist Group transformed clinical workflows and patient care through AI-driven voice recognition
Who was the client?
The Medical Specialist Group (MSG) provides specialist medical services to tens of thousands of islanders in Guernsey each year. Recognising the growing demands on clinical communication and administrative efficiency, MSG sought to improve their outpatient letter process - a vital component of operational performance and patient care.
Client Requirements
MSG's objectives were twofold: to streamline outpatient letter workflows and to enable faster, more reliable communication for patients and staff. Their existing systems required manual processing, had limited technical support and restricted opportunities for innovation. These challenges affected various stakeholders:
- Clinicians were limited to on-campus workstations, previous voice-driven tools lacked intuitive functionality for structuring letters and did not facilitate efficient document creation.
- Typists managed dictations in a reactive manner, leading to repetitive task patterns and limited oversight of end-to-end workflows.
- Patient correspondence was hindered by unavoidable delays and needed to be more effective to support care coordination.
Implementation of an AI Voice Solution
To address MSG's needs, C5 Alliance collaborated closely with all levels of the organisation to deploy Heidi, an AI-powered voice recognition and workflow platform.
Our approach combined thorough discovery - mapping workflows and stakeholder requirements - with iterative pilot cycles and hands-on support from clinical champions.
Working alongside MSG's IT, legal, compliance and clinical teams, we ensured robust integration with existing systems and compliance with NHS and local data regulations through a detailed DPIA and agreement process.
‘Heidi’ transformed the outpatient workflow by enabling:
- Clinicians to dictate clinic letters directly at the point of care - whether in hospital, at home, or remotely - receiving near-instantaneous transcription and sign-off.
- Typists and admin teams to shift focus to quality assurance, workflow oversight and template optimisation, developing new professional skills.
- Patients and GPs to receive timely, clear, and consistent communication, often on the same day as appointments.
Key Features and Innovations
- Secure cloud-based access from any device.
- Automated transcription with advanced medical vocabulary handling.
- Dynamic, department-specific templates and shared template library.
- Live and batch audio transcription modes for diverse clinical preferences.
- Robust role-based access controls and automated data purging.
- Integration capability with EPR offerings and future patient portals.
Results and impact
Since deploying ‘Heidi’, MSG has reported:
- Process Improvements: Letter workflows have been significantly streamlined, with many clinics achieving same-day letter turnaround for 80% of cases.
- Enhanced Patient Care: Improved information flow, supporting efforts to build patient confidence and maintain continuity of care.
- Staff Empowerment: Clinicians and typists have praised the intuitive interface and opportunities for skills development, with remote and flexible working now possible for both groups.
- Commercial Benefits: Notable annual upkeep and licensing savings following the transition, plus indirect benefits through reduced overtime and improved compliance.
Client Feedback
It's been a fantastic change project within our organisation. It's allowed us to spend more face-to-face time with patients, so really having that personal interaction, so not looking down at the notes, not typing away on the computer, so really able to build a bit of better rapport with our patients... The other advantage, of course, is that it allows us to produce documentation and letters in a good timely fashion because we want to be able to get letters out to our patients and to GPs as quickly as possible.
- Dr Michelle Le Cheminant, Consultant Anaesthetist and MSG Chair (via BBC News Guernsey)
Lessons Learned and Next Steps
MSG's experience offers valuable insights:
- Engage all stakeholders early - communication is as vital as technology.
- Begin legal and procurement reviews in parallel with technical work to avoid delays.
- Embrace phased rollout and pilot thoroughly based on real feedback.
- Maintain existing workflows briefly during transition to ease change management.
Looking ahead, MSG plans to extend ‘Heidi’ across additional departments, integrate fully with electronic patient records and develop enhanced patient communication tools. Continuous improvement remains embedded through regular performance reviews and open feedback channels.
Partner with C5 Alliance
The MSG case demonstrates how technology, culture and clinical requirements can align to drive meaningful transformation. If your healthcare organisation seeks to modernise workflows and enhance patient care, C5 Alliance offers proven expertise in delivering measurable results.
