Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: Artificial intelligence (AI) scribes

Summary

An artificial intelligence (AI) scribe is a tool that can automate parts of the clinical documentation process for a medical practitioner. AI scribes can convert a conversation with a patient into a clinical note, summary, or letter that can be incorporated into the patient’s health record. AI scribes are also referred to as digital scribes, virtual scribes, ambient AI scribes, AI documentation assistants, and digital/virtual/smart clinical assistants.

An AI scribe cannot completely replace the work a general practitioner (GP) undertakes to prepare clinical documentation. The output of an AI scribe must be carefully checked for accuracy by a GP, as it can produce errors and inconsistencies. GPs are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the patient health record is accurate and up-to-date.

This article looks at how AI scribes work and the potential benefits and problems with it.