Physician Burnout meet AI with Dr. Kyle Fortinsky and Jay Gilbert

In this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, Dr. Mark Bonta takes us into the underappreciated world of medical documentation—and the burnout it breeds—by shining a spotlight on two disruptors aiming to change the status quo. Joined by Dr. Kyle Fortinsky, a gastroenterologist and self-proclaimed tech enthusiast, and serial entrepreneur Jay Gilbert, the discussion pulls back the curtain on the all-too-familiar struggle of physicians, nurses, and healthcare workers documenting late into the night while real life passes them by.

Together, they unpack the daily grind of charting and how the current EMR landscape keeps clinicians glued to screens, often at the expense of patient care and personal well-being. Jay and Kyle reveal the origin story of their innovative startup, Clever Consult, born from both firsthand medical experience and the intimate view of a spouse disappearing into late-night charting marathons. Listeners get a candid look at their journey from scribbled napkin ideas to building a privacy-first AI assistant that actually understands clinical nuance.

Beyond the tech talk, this episode explores everything from the high-risk realities of endoscopy procedures to the frustrating hunt for vital information buried in endless patient charts. The conversation also delves into the real fears—and hurdles—of integrating AI into healthcare, from privacy concerns to the challenge of building tech that truly lightens clinicians’ workloads.

With humor and humility, Dr. Fortinsky and Jay Gilbert make the case that “doctor-built, doctor-focused” AI can finally start to reclaim the cognitive energy clinicians lose to admin overload. Rather than replace clinicians, this technology aims to empower them, helping doctors spend less time as scribes and more time as healers, problem-solvers, and humans.

Tune in to hear how the marriage between entrepreneurial grit and frontline medical experience is forging a new path—one where AI does the heavy lifting behind the scenes, so healthcare professionals can get back to what truly matters: caring for people.

Episode Highlights

1. Why We NEED This: Kyle and Jay share horror stories of never-ending notes, missed dinners, and knowing your patient is safe to scope only after 20 minutes combing PDFs for hidden warfarin doses.
2. The Product: An AI tool designed not to replace doctors, but to free them from scribal servitude. Clever Consult ingests mountains of charts, consults, labs, and more—then gifts you the focused summary you need, before you see the patient.
3. Built by Doctors, for Doctors: "If physicians don’t look after themselves, they can’t look after patients.” That’s the mantra guiding Clever Consult’s development.
4. Privacy FIRST: With patient confidentiality sacred, the team spent more money on privacy law than anything else. All data’s in Canada, nothing is retained by AI vendors, and legal experts guide every tech decision.
5. The Human Touch: While some fear robots will take the stethoscope, Jay and Kyle see AI as an assistant—not a replacement—to boost diagnostic accuracy, flag hidden dangers, and (finally!) give us more one-on-one time with patients.
6. The Future: Imagine charting in a fraction of the time, cognitive energy reserved for real-life problem-solving (not formatting notes on endless EMR screens), and leaving “scut work” to the machines.

Episode Timestamps

• 03:35 – Revolutionizing Healthcare with Tech
• 09:13 – Streamlining Medical Data Management
• 12:52 – “Improving Medical Efficiency with AI”
• 16:21 – Serendipitous Developer Collaboration
• 17:14 – Building & Validating the Business Model
• 20:57 – “Balancing AI’s Strengths and Weaknesses”
• 25:36 – AI Legal Consultation for Data Compliance
• 28:27 – Bridging Software and Medical Expertise
• 32:27 – AI Revolution in Medical Diagnostics
• 34:33 – AI‑Enhanced Medical Diagnosis
• 40:29 – Deep AI Solutions for Medical Documentation
• 42:06 – “AI‑Driven Healthcare Documentation”
• 47:33 – AI Revolutionizes Healthcare Documentation

DISCLAMER >>>>>>    The Ditch Lab Coat podcast serves solely for general informational purposes and does not serve as a substitute for professional medical services such as medicine or nursing. It does not establish a doctor/patient relationship, and the use of information from the podcast or linked materials is at the user's own risk. The content does not aim to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and users should promptly seek guidance from healthcare professionals for any medical conditions.  

 >>>>>> The expressed opinions belong solely to the hosts and guests, and they do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Hospitals, Clinics, Universities, or any other organization associated with the host or guests.   

 Disclosures: Ditch The Lab Coat podcast is produced by (Podkind.co) and is independent of Dr. Bonta's teaching and research roles at McMaster University, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Queens University.