While more New Zealand general practitioners are turning to AI scribes, University of Otago researchers note ethical, legal, and doctor-patient relationship challenges.
The survey, conducted in the first quarter of 2024 and involving 197 participants, revealed that 40% used AI scribes to take patient notes. Eight in ten respondents found AI scribes helpful, with nearly half estimating it could save between 30 minutes and two hours per day; yet, others reported no time savings at all due to editing and corrections. Health providers retain professional and legal responsibility for the accuracy of their clinical notes regardless of whether they have used AI scribes.
To maximise the benefits of AI scribes while reducing risks, according to the research team, several medicolegal issues need to be resolved, such as obligations around the retention and storage of health data
, how pausing or interrupting a transcription recording may affect accuracy and compliance etc.