Many New Zealand GPs have taken up using AI scribes to transcribe affected person notes throughout consultations regardless of ongoing challenges with their authorized and moral oversight, information safety, affected person consent, and the impression on the doctor-patient relationship, a research led by the College of Otago, Wellington—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke has discovered.
The findings have been printed within the Journal of Major Well being Care.
The researchers surveyed 197 well being suppliers working in main care in February and March of 2024, offering a snapshot in time of using AI-scribes in scientific follow. Many of the respondents have been GPs however others included nurses, nurse practitioners, rural emergency care suppliers and follow managers.
Their early experiences with AI-scribes have been blended—with customers expressing each enthusiasm and optimism, together with considerations and frustrations.
Some 40% of these surveyed reported utilizing AI scribes to take affected person notes. Solely 66% had learn the phrases and circumstances on using the software program, and 59% reported looking for affected person consent.
Lead researcher Professor Angela Ballantyne, a bioethicist within the Division of Major Well being Care and Common Apply, says AI transcription providers are being quickly taken up by main care practices, despite the fact that nationwide rules and pointers are nonetheless being developed.
Most of these surveyed who used AI-scribes discovered them useful, or very useful, with 47% estimating that utilizing them in each session might save between half-hour and two hours a day. A major minority, nevertheless, stated the software program didn’t save time total as a result of it took so lengthy to edit and proper AI-generated notes.
Well being professionals who responded to the survey talked about considerations in regards to the accuracy, completeness and conciseness of the affected person notes produced by AI-scribes.
One physician stated, “(It) missed some essential destructive findings. This meant I did not belief it.” One other commented that they’d stopped utilizing AI transcriptions as a result of the ‘hallucination price’ was fairly excessive, and sometimes fairly refined.
Others expressed concern in regards to the lack of ability of AI-scribes to grasp New Zealand accents or vocabulary and te reo Māori. One talked about pausing recordings in the event that they wanted to debate data which recognized the affected person, akin to a reputation or a date of beginning.
Over half of these surveyed stated utilizing an AI-scribe modified the dynamic of consultations with sufferers, as they wanted to verbalize bodily examination findings and their thought processes to permit the transcription instrument to seize data.
One of many GPs surveyed commented, “Right this moment somebody stated, ‘I’ve received ache right here,’ and pointed to the realm, and so I stated out loud ‘oh, ache in the fitting higher quadrant?'”
Professor Ballantyne says there’s a want to trace and consider the impression of AI instruments on scientific follow and affected person interactions.
These utilizing an AI-scribe felt it enabled them to focus extra on their sufferers and construct higher engagement and rapport by way of extra eye contact and energetic listening.
There was concern amongst these surveyed about whether or not using an AI-scribe complied with New Zealand’s moral and authorized frameworks.
Professor Ballantyne says well being practitioners have an expert and obligation to make sure their scientific notes are correct, whether or not or not they’ve used AI transcription instruments.
“They must be vigilant about checking affected person notes for accuracy. Nonetheless, as many survey respondents famous, rigorously checking every AI-generated scientific observe eats into, and generally negates any time financial savings.”
Professor Ballantyne says it’s important that the advantages which AI-scribes can ship are balanced in opposition to affected person rights and the necessity to guarantee information safety.
“Most AI-scribes depend on worldwide cloud-based platforms (usually privately owned and managed) for processing and storing information, which raises questions on the place information is saved, who has entry to it, and the way it may be protected against cyber threats.
“There are additionally Aotearoa-specific information governance points that must be acknowledged and resolved, notably round Māori information sovereignty.”
In July, the Nationwide Synthetic Intelligence and Algorithm Knowledgeable Advisory Group (NAIAEAG) at Well being New Zealand—Te Whatu Ora endorsed two ambient AI-scribe instruments, Heidi Well being and iMedX, to be used by its clinicians in Aotearoa. NAIAEAG considers privateness, safety, moral and authorized points.
Professor Ballantyne says to the extent that AI instruments are novel, it can’t be assumed that sufferers consent to their use.
“Sufferers ought to be given the fitting to choose out of using AI and nonetheless entry care, and sufficient coaching and pointers should be put in place for well being suppliers.”
The Medical Council of New Zealand is anticipated to launch steering about using AI in well being later this yr, which is prone to require sufferers give consent to using AI transcription instruments.
Professor Ballantyne says AI instruments are bettering over time, which can ameliorate a number of the moral considerations.
“Coupled with acceptable coaching, good governance and affected person consent, the way forward for AI scribes holds a lot promise.”
Extra data:
Angela Ballantyne et al, Utilizing AI scribes in New Zealand main care consultations: an exploratory survey. Journal of Major Well being Care. (2025) DOI: 10.1071/HC25079. www.publish.csiro.au/HC/fulltext/HC25079
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AI scribes achieve traction amongst New Zealand GPs regardless of moral and authorized considerations (2025, August 8)
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