Dear Patients
Our practice will be introducing new Artificial intelligence (AI) scribes to our consultation. This is an exciting new approach to how we interact with you, our patients.
With your permission, the software will listen to what is said, and from that, construct our consultation notes. You may not be aware, but this normally takes place manually, at the end of our consultations.
The evidence so far is that this will mean we can focus more on the consultation and less on the multiple recording tasks at hand.
It is very surprising that AI can interpret a free ranging discussion about lots of symptoms and create linear narrative, but it is very clever. AI does not record our examination findings, so these need to be verbalized, which is a little different.
I certainly understand the concern re privacy and a 3rd party “listening in”.
As yet this is nothing more than a scribe and does not alter the fundamental process of a consultation.
That is: taking a history, examination, assimilating that information and negotiating a plan forward. AI is not making any decisions. It simply organises the information.
There are lots of safeguards to protect you, our patient. These tools have been developed by GP’s and meet the stringent Australian legislation in this regard. The data is interpreted then destroyed, this occurs only with Australia and not overseas and cannot be “on sold “ to another party . We have firewalls and back up procedures in place to make sure your health records can never be corrupted, lost or stolen. We take that part of our service very seriously.
Of course, you can choose not to have your consultation recorded with AI, and we absolutely respect your decision. Your doctor will check with you at the start of each consultation.
We are confident this will improve our service. As always, we thank you for trusting us as partners in your health care.
CHEERS
Dr Neil Donovan on behalf of Berry Medical Centre.
NB: this letter was written entirely by me and not with the help of AI !