The RACGP has issued guidelines for GPs about using artificial intelligence (AI) scribes to take clinical notes on patients during consultations, stating they have benefits but must be used cautiously and doctors must check accuracy.
Meanwhile, Audiology Australia is working on developing guidance about using AI to help with clinical note taking in audiology.
“We recognise the demand for information and guidance in this growing area and are working on developing a position statement with regards to AI clinical note taking in audiology,” Audiology Australia CEO Ms Leanne Emerson told Hearing Practitioner Australia (HPA).
“This work is ongoing as we work to understand the multiple areas of legislative compliance that clinical note taking applications must meet along with aligning the use of these with best practice clinical outcomes.”
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons says that working on guidelines for its members is “definitely something we are looking at but we have not developed them yet”.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Australia’s peak body for GPs, released new guidance for GPs on using AI scribes on 13 August 2024. It said AI scribes could automate parts of the clinical documentation process and convert a conversation with a patient into a clinical note, summary or letter that can be incorporated into the patient’s health record. They are also called digital scribes, virtual scribes, ambient AI scribes, AI documentation assistants, and digital/virtual/smart clinical assistants.
RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins said the scribes could help GPs and their patients.
“AI scribes could reduce the administrative burden for GPs which contributes significantly to burnout, and improve patient satisfaction, but they do need to be used with caution,” she said.
“The administrative burden on GPs needs to be reduced urgently – our annual Health of the Nation report found GPs are increasingly reporting the administrative workload and associated stress among their greatest concerns.
“Where AI scribes can help is in automating parts of clinical note taking. For example, they can convert conversations into notes, which can be incorporated into health records, and given to patients to help them remember and follow the advice.”
There are risks so check accuracy
Dr Higgins said these tools would also allow GPs to focus on the patient instead of their computer during a consult, meaning happier patients.
“However, AI scribes need to be used with caution as it is an emerging technology and there are risks,” she added. “Patients must be informed and provide consent for them to be used during a consultation. And GPs need to ensure the tool they use is compliant with Australian laws for safe data collection and storage.
“It’s important to understand AI scribes cannot replace the work GPs do to prepare clinical documentation, and doctors must carefully check their output for accuracy, as they can make mistakes.”
She said everyone deserved the quality care that came from having a GP who knows them and their health history. “AI can never replace this relationship. But it can help with administrative tasks, and this will help GPs focus more on our patients, which is what we want,” she said.
Saves audiologist ‘hours a week’ on paperwork
Queensland audiologist Mr Wesley Ong, director of Fidelity Hearing Centre in Redland, recently told HPA that AI medical scribes can dramatically reduce the amount of time spent on paperwork.
“It saves me hours each week on case notes, and it captures more detail and accuracy than before. It’s scarily easy to use too by just hitting record,” he said.
“It’s amazing to think an AI platform can live in the moment with you and your patient during an appointment so when you ask it to write a report, list COSI goals or outline future plans, it can produce that with flawless memory. You can build templates, get templates built for you on documents you’ve created previously while also meeting the Australian Privacy Principles and satisfying Hearing Services Program requirements.”
He said using an AI platform that takes clinical notes and arranges them for him had changed something he does every day in a profound way.
“Like many of you, I pour my heart and energy into listening and engaging with my clients. However, while trying to listen and interact, my eyes are darting back and forth between my screen and my client’s eyes whilst my fingers are bashing my keyboard in a lunatic fashion,” he said.
“If I decide to do this at the end of the appointment, or at the end of the day, my memory only maintains so much. I only have enough time and energy to write down key notes and some items simply don’t make it onto the record at all. And what if my time and energy is so low that it doesn’t get done at all? Items forget to be actioned, key goals and important clinical knowledge vanishes and ultimately, the client is the one who suffers due to poor clinical practice.”
Ong hosted an Independent Audiologists Australia webinar this year sharing tips about clinical use of AI in audiology including outsourcing paperwork, and said there were various AI powered speech to text or medical scribes for healthcare professionals.
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