Docs using AI spent just as much time with patients

A small survey of doctors using AI transcribing software found small reductions in stress levels and an increase in time spent talking to patients.

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GPs using AI transcription software for notetaking still left work and ran late roughly the same amount as their peers but were able to give time back to patients.

Speaking at the annual ACRRM and RDAA conference on Thursday, Ochre Health co-founder and GP Dr Hamish Meldrum presented findings from a follow-up survey of doctors who had been provided with a free copy of transcription software Lyrebird.

The Medical Republic covered findings from the initial survey in August, where almost 90% of respondents estimated that the software would save them at least one or two minutes per consult.

Around half the respondents at that time said they would spend the extra time talking with patients rather than typing notes, one third said they’d try to see the same number of patients in less time (i.e. leave work early) and one tenth said they had no clue what they might do.

Just 10% said they would use the extra time to try and see more patients each day.

Ultimately, Dr Meldrum told Rural Medicine Australia delegates, 18 of the original 52 doctors elected to continue using Lyrebird after a four-month trial.

Seven participants from the original group of 52 were lost to follow-up, and the remaining 27 had stopped using the software at various points and were uninterested in continued use.

The cohort who elected to ditch transcription were slightly more sceptical of AI technology at baseline and tended to rate themselves as slightly less stressed.

Both the AI users and the non-users were just as likely to run behind on consults and left work at around the same time.

In terms of actual time saved though, 14 of the 18 doctors who used Lyrebird said they saved at least one or two minutes of note-taking per consult.

The remaining four indicated that proofreading and reordering notes had eaten up any time saved.

“There was quite a few comments from doctors that it was struggling to spell drug names and medical words,” Dr Meldrum said.

In the end, almost all of the doctors who used the AI transcriber and saved time re-invested in that time in their patients.

“The big surprise is that, overwhelmingly, the doctors who elected to use the time saved for including more patient-facing time and patient care,” Dr Meldrum said.

“That was supported by the fact that they didn’t report that they were going home from work earlier or that they were seeing more patients than the non-users were.”

Dr Meldrum’s hypothesis was that it was the culture of the practice that determined how doctors would use their additional time.

“If you have a culture in your practice that’s about high patient care and good outcomes for your patients, I think this is probably going to be a likely finding,” he said.

“I think it’s worthwhile getting [AI transcription] and there are obviously benefits – but if you’re being sold the idea that there’s a commercial benefit or a return-on-investment in terms of generating more billing income, I think you’ve got to be a little bit wary.”

Rural Medicine Australia 2024 was held at Darwin Convention Centre between 24 and 26 October.