LISTEN: AI scribes are changing medical care. Here’s what to know if the technology shows up at your next doctor’s appointment.
Family physician Eric Boose has been using an artificial intelligence tool to get back to what he calls “old-fashioned medicine” — talking with patients face-to-face, without having to type into a computer at the same time.
“I can really just sit there and engage and just focus on them and listen,” said Boose, who practices at Cleveland Clinic.
Roughly two years ago, he started using an AI notetaker app during patient visits. The tool listens while he talks with patients and then automatically generates a visit summary based on the conversation. The summary is usually ready within seconds after the appointment ends.
“It’s taking care of all that tedious work of charting and taking notes during the visit,” he said. “It’s just freeing up a lot more time to get that done, and I can get home to my family earlier.”
Nearly a third of physician practices are using AI scribes and others are working to add the tool, in an effort to cut down on administrative work.
If your practitioner suggests using an AI scribe at your next appointment, here are three things to keep in mind:
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1. Clinicians should ask for your permission.
At the start of an appointment, your doctor might ask something like, “Are you OK if I use an AI scribe to help me take notes during this appointment?” A common practice is to accept verbal, not written, consent from patients before t …