Ms Bancroft : When GPs hit record at the start of the consultation , a prompt will ask if they have obtained patient consent and will record whether the patient has said ‘ yes , just for this consult ’ or ‘ yes for all consults ’ or ‘ no ’.

We are working on a workflow that will allow clinics to send out an SMS with a link so patients can be informed and consent before they get to the clinic .

AusDoc : Has a system similar to this been used anywhere else by doctors ?

Ms Bancroft : Yes , one example being clinical decision support tools that process information about the patient , their history and risk factors and measures it against known information and trends to provide prompts and suggestions back to the doctor .

MIMS is another example .

That information is provided based on certain triggers and known trends , but ultimately the clinician is the one who takes in the information and decides the next steps .

AusDoc : Have GPs tested the system ahead of its release ?

Ms Bancroft : Yes .

We have a number of beta testers currently in the process of testing the integration of Lyrebird with Best Practice in advance of the Orchid service pack 2 release in a few weeks .

The metrics we use include user experience , efficiency , accuracy and future workflow enhancement .

Best Practice clinical adviser Dr Fabrina

Hossain also utilised the tool within her travel medicine clinic and focused on efficiency in terms of time saved through the day , on average 60-90 minutes per day , through not running late or staying back to flesh out and record consult notes .

AusDoc : You say that the doctor remains responsible for the final note . But isn ’ t there a danger that the doctor ends up going through the consult not actively listening and opting to rely on the medical note generated by the AI ?

Ms Bancroft : There is always a risk .

This is not dissimilar to the concern that e-scripts would result in a dispenser just hitting enter and relying on the tech when barcodes / QR were introduced .

That will always be an inherent risk with the enhancement and support of providing efficient new technical processes .

That said , currently doctors have minimal time to record notes between appointments , meaning they have to rely on memory when they flesh out consultation notes at the end of the day , potentially resulting in incomplete records .

The key is to educate and remind doctors of their responsibilities .

I see the RACGP and AMA as leaders in this area to ensure the safe and effective use of these tools to support and enhance existing practice .

The tool is there to assist , not do the work for the doctors .

At some point we also have to trust that clinicians know their responsibilities .