How Dermatologists Are Using AI to Reduce Administrative Burden and Improve Practice Efficiency

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly common part of dermatology practice, particularly among independent physicians looking to reduce administrative workload while improving efficiency. According to Roman Bronfenbrener, MD, a dermatologist in private practice and a member of the academic faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, AI is already being used to streamline administrative, clinical, and operational workflows.

His comments build on findings from Clarity's 2026 State of Dermatology Report, which found that many independent dermatologists are already incorporating AI into everyday practice while balancing increasing administrative demands. In a recent Dermatology Times interview, Bronfenbrener discussed how he has integrated AI into his own independent dermatology practice.¹

Administrative Burdens Drive Early AI Adoption

Bronfenbrenner said he was encouraged by survey findings showing that many independent dermatologists are incorporating AI into daily practice. Rather than replacing clinical decision-making, he noted that most physicians are using AI to address time-consuming administrative responsibilities.

"I think AI is a great tool to leverage to streamline a lot of the issues that we face in private practice, particularly the administrative burdens," Bronfenbrener said.

Among the most common uses reported in the survey were generating patient education materials and assisting with prior authorizations and precertification’s, helping physicians and staff spend less time on repetitive administrative tasks.¹

Patients Are Bringing AI Into the Exam Room

Bronfenbrenner also highlighted another growing trend: patients increasingly arriving at appointments after consulting AI chatbots about their symptoms.

He said patients often bring printed AI-generated conversations identifying a suspected diagnosis and recommending treatments. While he expects this trend to continue, he cautioned that current AI tools still lack the clinical reasoning necessary to appropriately interpret complex medical histories.

"I think AI, for patient purposes, sometimes it's the blind leading the blind," Bronfenbrener said. "The patient doesn't know what is important to talk about with the AI, what's relevant, what's not."

Unlike physicians, he explained, AI cannot reliably distinguish clinically meaningful information from unrelated details or appropriately weigh competing findings when forming a diagnosis.

AI as a Clinical Assistant—Not a Replacement

For clinicians hesitant to begin using AI, Bronfenbrener recommended starting with tools already integrated into commonly used software platforms, such as Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini.

Before uploading any protected health information, however, he emphasized the importance of establishing a business associate agreement with the AI vendor to maintain HIPAA compliance.

"Biggest wisdom is just use it. It's a chat box you can talk to about whatever you want," he said.

Once appropriate privacy protections are in place, Bronfenbrener said AI can rapidly summarize lengthy patient records, organize complex timelines, and surface key clinical details that might otherwise require reviewing hundreds of pages of documentation.²

He also uses AI during patient care to generate additional differential diagnoses or treatment considerations.

"It's a little bit like working with a resident who might have read something more recently than you have and might make some suggestions that you'd otherwise not think about," Bronfenbrener said.

Looking Beyond Documentation

Beyond clinical documentation, Bronfenbrener has incorporated AI into marketing and operational tasks, including editing clinical photographs, creating social media content, and generating educational materials.

He is also exploring AI-powered receptionist functions capable of answering calls, triaging patients, documenting appointment requests, and processing prescription refill messages. Initially, he estimated these systems could independently manage roughly 20% to 30% of incoming calls before requiring staff involvement.

Although he does not expect AI to eliminate the need for office personnel, Bronfenbrenner believes AI can improve efficiency by allowing staff to focus on higher-value responsibilities while reducing some operational costs over time.

"I don't think it's going to replace all of those people," he said. "But I think in the beginning you might be able to rid yourself of some of the poor performers in your practice."

References:

1. Clarity RCM. 2026 State of Dermatology Report. Conducted in collaboration with PureSpectrum. Published June 2026. Accessed July 6, 2026. https://report.clarityrcm.com/
2. Hebebrand M. Adapting to the age of AI in clinical dermatology. Dermatology Times. Published January 15, 2026. Accessed July 6, 2026. https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/adapting-to-the-age-of-ai-in-clinical-dermatology