documentation
"The State of AI in Allergy, 2026: What the AMA, AAAAI, ACAAI and FDA Say"
2026-10-09 · 8 min read
The short answer: most physicians now use AI at work, and documentation is
one of the most common uses. The allergy societies are engaging with it
directly: the AAAAI published a framework saying allergists should help design
and validate AI in the specialty, and the ACAAI set up an AI and Technology
Subcommittee in 2025 to help practices use these tools safely. The evidence
that AI documentation reduces burnout is encouraging but early, and it comes
from general ambulatory care, not allergy. For a practice, the questions that
matter are about the clinician's control, the data, and whether the tool fits
allergy work at all: skin tests, patch tests, immunotherapy and the follow-up
visit.
Every figure below comes from the source linked next to it. Read the
originals before quoting them.
1. Physicians: AI use has more than doubled since 2023
The American Medical Association's *2026 Physician Survey on Augmented
Intelligence* (nearly 1,700 physicians, published March 12, 2026) found that
81% of physicians use AI professionally. The AMA notes that this is "more
than double what it was when the AMA first polled doctors on health AI in
2023." Documenting care (visit notes, charts, care plans and progress notes)
is among the most common uses.
(AMA)
The same survey shows what physicians want before they rely on a tool: data
privacy, evidence that it is safe and works, clarity on liability, and a say
in the decision. The AMA reports that 85% of doctors want to be consulted or
directly involved in decisions about AI adoption.
The survey covers all specialties. We found no published survey of AI use
among allergists specifically.
2. The AAAAI: allergists should shape AI in the specialty
In 2022 the AAAAI's Health Informatics, Technology and Education Committee
published *A Framework for Augmented Intelligence in Allergy & Immunology
Practice and Research* (Khoury P, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract.
2022;10(5):1178-1188). Its central recommendation:
> "Allergy & Immunology specialists should be involved in the design,
> validation and implementation of AI in Allergy & Immunology."
The report is direct about the risks. On bias: "AI systems' ability to
achieve massive scaling means these biases could be amplified more than by
humans alone." On data: "The quality, size and diversity of the datasets
influence accuracy and scalability to diverse patient populations."
For a practice, that becomes a practical question: was the tool built with
allergists, and was it tested on allergy work?
3. The ACAAI: practical help for practices
The ACAAI has moved from discussion to resources:
- A new AI and Technology Subcommittee (October 2025), chaired by Fatima
Khan, MD, to "keep members informed about emerging technologies and provide
practical resources."
(ACAAI)
- Short how-to videos in the College's practice-management library, on "scribing, researching clinical
information, creating letters, writing an effective prompt, comparing AI
models, creating patient education, and more." The subcommittee is also
working with the AMA on an AI Evaluation Guide.
- The AMA AI Specialty Collaborative. The College takes part with other
medical societies, and says the collaborative's resource gives allergists "a
framework to evaluate AI applications, ensure patient safety, and make
informed decisions." Members also have two free webinars on the College
Learning Connection, including *Practical Artificial Intelligence for
Allergists* (documentation, administrative support and revenue cycle).
The ACAAI 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting runs November 12–16 in Phoenix.
4. The evidence on AI documentation: encouraging, early, not allergy-specific
The best-known study so far appeared in JAMA Network Open in 2025. It
surveyed more than 1,400 physicians and advanced practice providers at Mass
General Brigham and Emory Healthcare. Mass General Brigham reported a **21.2%
absolute reduction in burnout prevalence at 84 days, and Emory a 30.7%
absolute increase in documentation-related well-being at 60 days**.
The authors also list the limits. Response rates were low (22% at Mass
General Brigham at 84 days, 11% at Emory), the pilot users were probably
"more enthusiastic users", and "more research is needed to track clinical use
of ambient documentation across a broader group of providers."
None of this was measured in allergy. A general ambient scribe drafts the
conversation, but much of an allergy visit happens off the conversation: the
skin-test panel, the controls, the patch-test readings on Day 2 and Day 3–4,
the immunotherapy build-up. A practice evaluating AI should test it on those
visits, not just on a new-patient history.
5. The FDA: what the AI device list does and doesn't tell you
The FDA keeps a public
list of AI-enabled medical devices
that have been authorized for marketing. The agency itself says "the list is
not a comprehensive resource of AI-enabled medical devices."
Two practical points for allergy practices:
- Look at what the vendor says about its own status. If a tool proposes
clinical measurements, such as wheal sizes from a photo, ask plainly whether
it is FDA-cleared or investigational, and how a person confirms each value.
- Being on the list says nothing about your workflow. Authorization is
about a specific device and intended use. It doesn't tell you whether the
tool fits your skin-test protocol or your note.
6. Ten questions to ask before adopting AI in an allergy practice
These follow the themes the AMA survey and the specialty societies raise:
privacy, evidence, oversight and fit.
- Will you sign a BAA? Where is the data stored and how is it encrypted?
- Who signs the note? The clinician should review, edit and sign
everything. Nothing should be filed without them.
- Can I check the draft against its source? Look for a way to see where
a line in the note came from in the visit.
- Was it built with allergists? The AAAAI framework's first
recommendation.
- Does it handle skin testing? SPT and intradermal, controls first, your
own grading rules, and a record of who confirmed each value.
- Does it handle patch testing? Ordering, readings on the ICDRG scale at
each time point, and sign-off.
- Does the follow-up visit pick up where the last one ended? Allergen
profile, prior results, chronic conditions.
- Does it work with my EHR? Schedule and chart, not copy and paste.
- What evidence do you have, and from where? Ask for real numbers from a
real practice, and how they were measured.
- What does it claim, and what does it avoid claiming? Be wary of
accuracy percentages with no study behind them, and of any tool that says
it replaces the clinician's judgment.
Where Medora fits
Medora is an AI copilot built only for allergy and immunology practices, with
a working allergy practice, Allergy Affiliates in Bradenton, Florida.
- Medora Copilot listens to the visit and drafts an allergy-structured
SOAP note, with templates for new patients, follow-ups, skin testing,
immunotherapy, asthma, and drug and food challenges. The clinician reviews,
edits and signs every note.
- Evidence Mapping links lines of the note back to the moment in the
visit conversation where they were said, so the clinician can check the
source before signing.
- Medora Vision (investigational, not FDA-cleared): the nurse photographs
the skin-test panel, Medora drafts each wheal size from the photo, and the
nurse checks what it flags and confirms every value before it is recorded.
- Patch testing: ordering, 48-hour and Day 3–4 readings on the ICDRG
scale, photos, and clinician sign-off.
- Medora signs a BAA and runs on HIPAA-eligible AWS.
In a 60-day pilot at Allergy Affiliates, provider sign-off per skin-test visit went from 18 minutes to 4
Frequently asked questions
How many physicians use AI in 2026?
The AMA's 2026 survey of nearly 1,700 physicians found that 81% use AI
professionally, more than double the share when the AMA first asked in 2023.
There is no published figure for allergists alone.
Has the AAAAI or ACAAI issued guidance on AI?
The AAAAI published a 2022 work group report, *A Framework for Augmented
Intelligence in Allergy & Immunology Practice and Research*, recommending that
allergists be involved in the design, validation and implementation of AI. The
ACAAI created an AI and Technology Subcommittee in 2025, publishes short how-to
videos and member webinars, and takes part in the AMA AI Specialty
Collaborative.
Do AI scribes reduce burnout?
Early studies suggest so. A 2025 JAMA Network Open study at Mass General
Brigham and Emory reported lower burnout and better documentation-related
well-being among pilot users. Response rates were low, and the authors call
for more research. It wasn't an allergy study.
Are AI documentation tools FDA-cleared?
It depends on the tool and what it does. The FDA's AI-enabled device list is
public, but the agency says it is not comprehensive. Ask each vendor directly
about its status. Medora Vision, for example, is investigational and not
FDA-cleared, and a person confirms every value.
What should an allergy practice look for in an AI tool?
Clinician sign-off on everything, a way to check the draft against its
source, a BAA, EHR integration, and real support for allergy work: skin
testing, patch testing, immunotherapy and the follow-up visit.
Try it on your own visits
- See how Medora handles allergy documentation
- Start the 14-day free trial of Medora Scribe (no card needed)
- Book a demo
- Read the full buyer's guide
- The skin-test documentation checklist
- Patch-test reading documentation (ICDRG)
*Sources: AMA, "More than 80% of physicians use AI professionally: AMA
survey" (March 12, 2026). Khoury P, Srinivasan R, Kakumanu S, et al. A
Framework for Augmented Intelligence in Allergy & Immunology Practice and
Research. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2022;10(5):1178-1188
(doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2022.01.047). ACAAI College Insider: "Spotlight on the AI
and Technology Subcommittee" (October 22, 2025), "The College is helping
allergists navigate AI" (April 20, 2026), "How the College is embracing AI"
(July 8, 2026). Mass General Brigham, "Ambient documentation technologies
reduce physician burnout" (JAMA Network Open, 2025). FDA, List of
AI-Enabled Medical Devices. Figures are as published; check the originals
for updates.*