New research is helping define the safe and effective adoption of AI digital scribes in NHS primary care.
Research lead:
Quick facts:
- AI tools to record and transcribe clinical appointments and reviews (“digital scribes”) are being used to reduce doctors’ workload
- Research involved doctors, other healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers in the UK and across 21 countries
- Evidence highlights potential transformative benefits, but also shows some safety and implementation concerns
Artificial intelligence (AI) digital scribes are being introduced in primary care to reduce the administrative workload that can take clinicians’ attention away from patients. However, the tools are being adopted faster than the evidence and guidelines to support them can be produced. This is particularly the case in NHS primary care, where important questions remain around safety, equity, data security, how well the technology fits into clinical workflows, its influence on consultation quality and how acceptable it is to patients and clinicians.
To address this gap, Dr Ahmed Alboksmaty focused on bridging the gap between the evidence for and the use of AI ambient voice technology (AVT) for making clinical notes in primary care.
Using a range of approaches, he looked at how AVT can be used safely and effectively within NHS settings. His findings suggest that it could reduce the time spent making notes, helping clinicians be more focused on their patients during consultations.
He also identified critical concerns, including transcription accuracy, medication safety, confidentiality, informed consent, inclusivity, and potential over-reliance on technology.
These findings have the potential to support more efficient workflows, to improve patient experience, and to enable more informed decision-making on the use of AI in primary care, within the UK and beyond.
