AI Scribe Pilot Program

Prince Edward Island primary care providers – nurse practitioners and family physicians – and pediatricians have the opportunity to participate in a one-year pilot program supported by Canada Health Infoway to advance the use of AI scribe technology across Canada. 

Your health care provider may be part of this exciting pilot program. Below you will find some general information to help you understand what an AI scribe tool does and how it works. 

What is an AI Scribe?  

An AI scribe is a software tool that uses speech recognition and artificial intelligence to help draft notes from the medical discussion you have with your health care provider. It includes details like your symptoms, questions, and your provider’s recommendations. It does not make any medical decisions or diagnoses and is simply a tool to help with documentation. 

How does an AI Scribe work?  

An AI scribe tool helps your provider focus on you during your visit. Instead of your health care provider taking notes, the AI scribe creates a temporary audio recording and converts it into a draft summary. This summary will then be reviewed and edited by your provider who chooses what will be added to your medical record. The AI Scribe tool will not make decisions about your care; it only summarizes the medically relevant information from your appointment.  

What are the benefits of AI Scribes for patients?  

By automating the note drafting process, health care providers can focus more on you and less on taking notes. It also helps ensure that important health-related details, no matter how small, are accurately documented.  

What are the benefits of AI Scribes for health care providers?  

AI scribe offers many benefits for health care providers by helping them to focus on what matters most – caring for their patients. AI scribes help providers spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork. It supports more efficient visits and ensures that important details are clearly documented. This can help improve your experience and help reduce health care provider burnout. 

Will I be notified that my health care provider is using AI Scribe?  

Yes, you will be notified that your provider is using AI scribe and will be provided with additional information about AI scribe and its use. You will be given the option to consent to the use of AI Scribe. 

Will I be asked for my consent before my health care provider uses an AI Scribe?  

Yes, before an AI scribe is used during your health visit you will be asked to consent to its use. As part of requesting your consent, you will be provided with information about what the AI scribe does, and how it will be used during your appointments. You can ask questions before and again after you consent.  

If you choose to say ‘no’ to the use of AI scribe during your appointment, it will not impact the quality of care that you will receive from your health care provider. You can also change your mind at any time, just by letting the office support staff or your health care provider know. 

What happens if AI makes a mistake when it generates the summary of my appointment? 

Your health care provider always reviews the detailed summary that was drafted by the AI scribe tool then approves and adds the summary to your health care record. You can ask your provider questions you may have about the tool and raise any concerns about the accuracy of the transcriptions.  

What privacy protections are in place for patient data?  

AI scribe tools must comply with all applicable provincial and federal privacy laws. No matter how patient records are created, providers have the same privacy responsibility for all of their records, and this includes documentation drafted by AI scribes. The AI Scribe tool does not have direct access to your chart. 

Where does the AI Scribe temporarily save the audio recording? 

The AI Scribe we are piloting securely stores any information collected within Canada. To protect your privacy, audio recordings are only saved until a draft summary is created (up to 48 hours), after which they are automatically deleted. Draft summaries are stored for 30 days to allow for review and editing, and then they are permanently removed. The information collected by the AI Scribe is not kept beyond these time limits.