Clinicians across Queensland, and indeed globally, are facing increasing pressure to "do more with less." This mounting administrative and documentation burden has become a significant barrier to person-centred care.
At GCH, some clinicians who had already experienced the benefits of ambient listening tools like Lyrebird in their private practice became champions for change. This internal interest spurred the Digital Transformation and Research Division to formally partner with Lyrebird Health.
Lyrebird eliminates the distraction of documentation, making the patient the focal point of the visit again.
To explore whether Lyrebird Health's AI-powered ambient listening platform could be safely and effectively embedded into routine clinical workflows to:
The 16-week trial launched in July 2024. It was built on the belief that successful digital transformation must go beyond mere efficiency; it must improve care, restore connection, and reduce clinician fatigue.
The initiative involved:
The trial delivered exceptional, validated results that directly address the challenge of documentation burden:
The implementation of Lyrebird has delivered a transformative impact on clinical efficiency, most notably through an 80% reduction in documentation time for many clinicians. By significantly lowering the administrative burden, valuable clerical time is directly converted back into meaningful, patient-facing care. This shift is reflected in the broader workforce sentiment, with 84% of staff reporting a measurable increase in workflow efficiency. The results go beyond mere speed; the faster documentation turnaround has fostered a healthier work-life balance and reduced the cognitive load on the entire clinical team.
The Lyrebird-generated notes were not just faster; they were better.
“The depth of information recorded with Lyrebird is more detailed than I would normally type during a consult or from memory later. Plus, I've been able to customize it to reflect my own structure, style, and technical language, making it even more tailored to my workflow.” - Jessica Triay – Staff Specialist, Endocrinology. Gold Coast Health.
The core goal of restoring focus was achieved:
Lyrebird generates clinical notes that are more accurate, complete, and better structured than traditionally dictated or typed notes.
"Prior to using Lyrebird, I would spend an hour with a patient and another 1-2 hours on paperwork. Now, it’s just 15-20 minutes, saving me 2-3 hours a day. In my consultations, I have more time to interact with the kids, and I can maintain eye contact with parents during those deeper conversations which is improving my relationships with the families.”
Angela Owens – Senior Medical Officer, Child Development Service. Gold Coast Health.
The Gold Coast Health and Lyrebird Health partnership has successfully demonstrated that emerging ambient listening technology can be safely and effectively embedded within a complex clinical environment. The project developed clear recommendations for safe, scalable deployment.
This initiative serves as a powerful model, proving that digital tools can be leveraged not just to cut costs, but to meaningfully reduce clinician fatigue and reinforce person-centred care. Gold Coast Health is now poised to leverage these insights for a full rollout, transforming the daily experience for both its dedicated clinicians and the patients they serve.
“This is a single biggest impactful technology driven transformation that has been done in Gold Coast health”
“The team at Lyrebird Health is continuously striving to keep innovating. We’re fully committed to setting the gold standard for clinical software, supporting medical professionals in doing what they do best, and ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care.” - Kai Van Lieshout, CEO and Founder at Lyrebird
