PostCare AI pilots platform to help small medical practices cut paperwork and prep visits

This story was made possible through support from TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, which enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at tedcomd.com.

For many doctors, copious paperwork cuts into valuable time with patients. 

Ocean City, Maryland-based startup PostCare AI is among a growing wave of companies aiming to give doctors more hours in the exam room. But unlike other AI medical scribes that focus on visit notetaking, PostCare AI also helps handle documentation before appointments even begin, cofounder Surjodeep Sarkar said.

“The problem begins before the patient even arrives at the clinic,” Sarkar told Technical.ly. “Doctors have to sort through so many documents to understand the problem of the patient.” 

Physicians devote more than 15 hours a week, on average, to administrative tasks, with the burden even higher for certain specialties. The browser-based platform offers a pre-charting tool that syncs electronic medical records, like medical history, lab reports and referral notes, and turns them into an overall patient summary.

After the pre-visit preparation, the doctor records the patient conversation as they would with a traditional AI scribe. With PostCare AI, the system produces a more nuanced final visit overview by incorporating information from the pre-charting process, Sarkar said. 

The generated report also includes the diagnosis and medical billing codes needed to charge for care. Platforms like Sully.ai and Ambience also offer billing tools, and advances in AI medical coding largely benefit providers so far, though some doctors have reported errors with certain platforms. 

Still, the medical coding feature is especially important, Sarkar said, because inaccurate medical coding can lead to denied insurance claims, audits or even legal penalties for practices. These losses cost the healthcare industry $36 billion annually, according to a 2023 American Medical Association report. 

Plus, to keep the AI analysis secure, PostCare follows federal health privacy rules and uses industry-standard protections to keep patient information private, Sarkar said. 

“Our solution gives the right code not just based on the current conversation but also what’s happened in the patient’s history,” Sarkar said. 

Still in its beta phase, PostCare currently works with four allergy specialists across the mid-Atlantic to test its end-to-end system. Allergy medicine is the starting point, but the company plans to roll it out to other specialties, according to Sarkar.

Small practices instead of big hospitals

Sarkar met one of his cofounders, Nancy Tyagi, as a graduate researcher at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where they explored AI applications in healthcare.

They began by building a patient engagement tool, but soon recognized a bigger market in reducing doctors’ administrative workload. By freeing up doctors’ time, patients ultimately benefit from more attentive care and greater appointment flexibility, Sarkar said.

Now, they’re looking toward expansion to more doctors across the region. 

PostCare AI recently won a $25,000 grant through TEDCO’s Concept Capital program to support its work in the beginning stages. The company also applied for the next round of Techstars AI Healthcare Accelerator in Baltimore. 

PostCare AI wants to target solo practitioners and smaller offices, leaving larger hospital systems to existing platforms like Pittsburgh-based healthtech giant Abridge. About 42% of doctors work in private practice, though that share has declined since the pandemic. 

During its beta stage, the team is finalizing pricing and consulting doctors on a fair rate.

“We have to come to a place where it is affordable,” Sarkar said, “yet it solves the problem that they are facing.”