The genie is out of the bottle – artificial intelligence (AI) is already demonstrating its potential to improve health care. Preliminary studies indicate its efficacy in alleviating the weight of administrative burden for primary care clinicians and optimizing clinical recordkeeping and operations. So, why are some clinicians hesitant to board the AI train? Here are some reasons we’ve heard:
- They’re concerned about the privacy and security of personal information and ensuring AI tools and the data used by AI models are safe and effective.
- Clinicians want clear guidance that:
- Ensures AI safety and compliance considerations (for example, how patient data is used and where it is housed)
- Binds vendors to clear accountability obligations
- Ensures oversight over reliability of AI tools in health care
- Helps them to navigate contracts with AI vendors
Some clinicians have also expressed confusion around the sweeping use of the term “AI”. Simply put, AI is defined as “any technique that enables computers to mimic human behaviour”. There are a variety of AI tools that can be used in different ways in the provision of health care. At present, when most clinicians hear the term “AI” they think of “AI scribes”. An AI scribe is a digital tool designed to transcribe and document patient interactions in real time.
However, there are more complex AI tools being introduced. These include AI tools that support the use of robotic surgery, improve medical diagnoses, and accelerate the discovery of new drugs and treatments.
As human needs evolve, so too, will the capabilities of AI scribes and other AI tools. Open dialogue between health-care partners, including policymakers, regulators, technology developers, clinicians, advocacy groups and patients, will help to keep pace with the workflow and regulatory challenges of AI.
AI Knowledge Zone
OntarioMD, with the support of other partners, has helped lead the evaluation of AI scribe in primary care. We’ll be there to help clinicians every step of the way, with the launch of the AI Knowledge Zone, a resource for learning about, adopting, and using AI scribes, with a focus on privacy and legal requirements. We plan to use this site to share information on more AI tools as they become available for use in primary care.
Thinking about using an AI scribe in your practice, or already using one? We want to hear from you! Share your feedback in the comments section.
