How NoteWriter Started: Part 1

Hi, my name is Boston. I am the founder and CEO of NoteWriter. I'm also a fourth year medical student, a husband, a father, and a Christian. I like to write, so I couldn't pass up the excuse to publish something for the company blog.

The story of NoteWriter goes back to 2021 when I began my clinical years of medical school.¹ I had enjoyed studying medicine up to that point, but I couldn't wait to spend most of my time interacting with patients.

A Reality Check

My third year was a wonderful experience. I learned so much and got to work with some truly exceptional people. However, what surprised me most about my first prolonged experience with clinical medicine was how much time I spent in front of a computer. I knew I would need to document visits and read patient charts, but I was not prepared for the reality of hours each day spent staring at a computer screen.

I was also surprised by how much I disliked writing the notes. I had always enjoyed writing, but I found myself dreading the process of trying to recreate everything into the chart that I had already done in the room. It often felt tedious and repetitive. Even as a medical student, I could see how documentation could lead to burnout.

The Rise of ChatGPT

Although I was very busy during my third year, I did have enough time to keep up with the latest developments in artificial intelligence. After seeing what ChatGPT was capable of for the first time, I thought, "I wonder if this could help me write my notes."

Turns out it can. Running tests proved that the technology was actually pretty good at summarizing the information I gave it into a solid medical note. I was excited about the possibilities, but I didn't have the time to do much with it.

Fast forward a year and I am working on the MBA portion of my dual degree. I had been thinking about NoteWriter for a while, but I had not done anything about it. I was busy with school and family, and I didn't have the time to take on another project. However, as I continued to see ChatGPT improve, I continued to feel like it was something that would be worthwhile.

I am not a software developer, but I had always had a passing interest in coding. One weekend when my family was away, I started to tinker with ChatGPT's ability to help me code a prototype for NoteWriter. It proved to be extremely good at this. I knew just enough to get a basic website up and running. Encouraged, I continued to work on it whenever I had time.

Several versions and hundreds of hours later, I had a working prototype. It was not pretty, but it worked. It could take a conversation between a patient and provider and, within seconds turn it into a note. It was startling how quickly, accurately, and easily it could do this.

As I started my 4th year back in medicine, I had a few opportunities to show the prototype to other healthcare providers. They were all very impressed, but because it was not HIPAA compliant it couldn't be used clinically.

The end and the beginning

It all might have ended right there. I felt good about the positive feedback I had received on it, but it was still just a cool idea. Most likely, I would have somewhat reluctantly let it go and told myself that someone else would do it down the road. There was just too much to do for a budding 4th year medical student.

Luckily, that was not the end of the story. I had a critical realization that changed everything, and set us on the path to making NoteWriter what it is today.

Notes

1. I took a year break after third year to complete an MBA, so that's why I am a fourth year now.