Audiology Australia’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribes in Audiology Practice Position Statement outlines the principles and considerations for the use of AI in clinical documentation by audiologists in Australia.
The position statement provides Audiology Australia members with guidance to inform decisions on using an AI Scribe in their practice.
What Are AI Scribes?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to transform many aspects of healthcare in Australia, enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic processes, improving efficiency and simplifying record keeping and medical documentation.
Already AI scribe and Note taker technology can recognise medical terminology and differentiate between parts of conversations including questions, answers and instructions and organise information into useable formats. It is already helping to reduce administrative burnout and increase focus on client care in audiology by:
- listening to and transcribing clinician-client interactions into text to capture patient history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, and more
- organising transcribed information into structured formats for electronic health records and populate sections such as case history and medical reports
- integrating with clinical decision systems and provide recommendations and reminders based on the documented information
These benefits do not come without risk. Anyone who has used Alexa or Siri will know AI is prone to errors from misinterpreting speech or jargon and AI scribes are no different. This makes human review vital.
Using AI to handle sensitive patient data and ensuring these processes align with data and privacy protection laws is also not without risk and requires client consent. Implementation will also need to include training and ongoing education to successfully use, integrate with clinic process and remain up to date with current technology and its environments.
AI scribes hold the promise of improving clinical workflows in audiology, but careful consideration is essential. Audiology Australia does not endorse any specific AI scribe product. Instead, we advise audiologists and audiology practices to thoroughly evaluate potential tools to ensure they meet clinical needs, comply with all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, and uphold the highest standards of client care.