Impact of using an AI scribe on clinical documentation and clinician-patient interactions in allied health private practice: perspectives of clinicians and patients
Kerrie Evans, Amy Papinniemi, Bernd Ploderer, Vaughan Nicholson, Tom Hindhaugh, Viana Vuvan, Nicholas Cowley, Amina Tariq, Hayley Thomson
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The burden associated with clinical documentation can negatively impact patient care and job satisfaction amongst allied health professionals (AHPs). Digital scribes based on artificial intelligence (AI) may address these issues, but this has not been evaluated in Australian allied health private practice. OBJECTIVE: Describe perspectives and experiences of AHPs and patients regarding the use of an AI scribe for clinical documentation. DESIGN: Mixed-methods. METHODS: AHPs completed surveys at baseline, and after 6-weeks and 3-months of using an AI scribe that sought their perspectives about AI and clinical documentation. AHPs invited patients to complete one survey after the AI scribe was used during an appointment. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of AHPs and patients. RESULTS: 119 AHPs and 157 patients completed the surveys. 15 AHPs and 14 patients were interviewed. There was a significant reduction in time spent doing notes, letters and completing notes out of hours between baseline and 6-weeks and baseline and 3-months but no difference between 6-weeks and 3-months. Burden was significantly less at 3-months compared to baseline. Productivity increased by an average of 5.8 %. From the interviews, four themes described participants' experiences: using the scribe had a positive impact on therapeutic alliance and administrative workload, trust facilitated the use of the scribe and AHPs appreciated the scribe for different aspects of documentation. Although patients were comfortable consenting to the AI scribe being used during their own appointments, some acknowledged that other patients might require additional information about data storage and security to make an informed decision. CONCLUSION: The use of an AI scribe had a positive impact on AHPs working, and patients seeking care, in Australian allied health private practice.