The Quebec government says it’s launching a pilot project involving artificial intelligence transcription tools for health-care professionals, with an increasing number saying they cut down the time they spend filling paperwork.

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Doctors in Quebec are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with medical note-taking during patient consultations. With patient consent, conversations are recorded and transcribed by AI, which then generates structured summaries for doctors to review and add to medical records. This approach is reported to save doctors significant time, allowing them to see more patients and reduce mental fatigue.

Despite these benefits, concerns have been raised about the accuracy of AI-generated notes and the security of sensitive medical data. Protocols require doctors to review and approve all AI-generated documentation. The Quebec government is piloting wider use of these tools, but only approved applications that guarantee data security are currently permitted. The province continues to evaluate the technology's broader implementation.

How doctors are using AI in the exam room

The next time you visit your doctor or any healthcare professional, there may be someone else listening. Well, not someone, something. Let me explain. Doctors need to note down what's going on with each patient and what actions they took or recommended. That takes time, time many doctors would rather spend with other patients, so some are now turning to AI to help them get that time back. Here's how it works. You sit down with your health professional. They have a phone nearby with an approved app. Then, they ask your consent to have the conversation recorded. If you agree, an AI transcribes the interaction, your symptoms, your concerns, and the health professional's comments. At the end, an AI generates a structured summary of the conversation that the professional can approve and paste into any form or your medical file. It doesn't matter if it's the interview, the language, or the patient's accent. Thanks to AI, they can grasp the context of each discussion. James Tu is an emergency room doctor and is also co-founder of one of the two AI apps already approved for use by the Quebec government. He says half of his time in the ER involves taking notes, filling or printing out lab requests for patients. And he says his app Plume AI helps save one to two hours of note-taking in a day in the emergency room. I'm able to see four, five, six more patients during my shift. It also allows me to improve the quality of life I have as a professional because I focus on the patient. Tu says something that may surprise you. He says 10% of doctors in Quebec are already using these kinds of tools. Dr. Félix Lefait-Ho is one of them. It had a huge impact in my clinical practice. It frees up your mind. He's been using the tool for almost a year. It's on his desktop and uses a microphone, and he says he can see more than 20 patients a day now. It decreases the workload and the mental load, so you feel really refreshed for the next day. And now the province is following their lead. Santé Québec will soon be launching a pilot project to roll out AI on a larger scale for medical transcription needs. But there are some obvious concerns about this process. First, just how accurate is this AI? It's not perfect. So you still need to review your medical notes, and that's very important. And what's stopping doctors in a rush from not actually checking what the AI is generating? Will there be a clear protocol in place to ensure that the doctors review the notes? The protocol is to review it. Yeah, to review it. And then you complete the note, you sign the note, and then it's completed. Second, does your medical information remain confidential if an AI is analyzing it? We're going to have a lot of sensitive data being processed somewhere. We want to make sure that that system and the entire ecosystem is vetted by a real expert, basically. Another preoccupation that may remain is the legal preoccupation of who will have the ultimate responsibility of the actual data. Doctors are still fully responsible for the medical judgment. It's not replacing you as a doctor, but it's a nice addition to your toolbox. If Quebec is looking at wide-scale use of AI transcription, how does the province feel about these concerns? Santé Quebec declined our interview request, telling us in an email that it's too early and that they're still evaluating these solutions, and that for now, only approved tools that guarantee data security can be used by medical professionals. It's exciting, and I think in Quebec, we have a strong community of AI developers and innovators, so we're quite lucky. I'm looking forward to the future.

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How doctors are using AI in the exam room

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