Many people are used to their doctor typing away on their computer during their office visits. A large part of that is making a record of their symptoms and concerns, as well as the doctor’s observations and thoughts. If a doctor were able to leave that to artificial intelligence (AI), would that allow the doctor to focus more closely on the patient and improve care?
That’s one advantage of an AI program being tested that takes notes as patients are talking, so that doctors don’t have to. The Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center piloted such a program in outpatient clinic visits. It’s also being used elsewhere.
How that extra time is used makes a difference
This AI note taking (often using some type of “ambient AI scribe” that “listens” in and records) can allow doctors to spend more time with each patient since they don’t have to spend time typing, which may require the patient to speak more slowly.
The doctor in charge of the OSU pilot said, “We found it saved up to four minutes per visit. That’s time the physician can use to connect with the patient, do education and make sure they understand the plan going forward.” However, it can also cause hospitals and other medical facilities to place pressure on doctors to see more patients in a day with those minutes it saves. That means patients aren’t necessarily getting more attention or better care.
The risks of not reviewing the notes right away
Another concern is that some doctors won’t take the time to review the AI-generated notes. The notes generated with an ambient program, in particular, need to be reviewed for accuracy as soon as possible. Further, a doctor may need to add notes to reflect their own thoughts and observations they didn’t want to voice to their patient.
If they aren’t closely reviewed, mistakes and omissions can go unnoticed. This can lead to serious misdiagnoses, missed diagnoses or the prescription of the wrong medications because inaccurate information is in the patient’s electronic health record (EHR) or critical information may be missing completely.
Ultimately, doctors and other medical providers are responsible for the thoroughness and accuracy of their notes – regardless of how they’re generated. That means they can potentially be held liable for any harm caused by inaccurate or incomplete notes. This is one reason it’s crucial for patients and their loved ones to know and be able to assert their rights – including the right to compensation – if they’ve suffered harm.
