It is becoming increasingly popular: software that transforms medical conversations into documentation. The British Medical Association now warns of blue eyelet.
Software solutions that transform conversations into documentation are increasingly no longer based on classic AI algorithms, but also on large voice models. They are already relatively common in the Anglo -American region. And in Germany, too, numerous health IT manufacturers have announced that they either want to develop corresponding solutions themselves or to offer them through cooperation.
Politically, there is often support for this, since efforts to reduce bureaucracy are perceived as positive. One example is the English NHS, which recently presented guidelines for the use of so-called ambient voice technologies (AVT), i.e. AI solutions, converting the spoken communication into text. These recommendations are aimed at outpatient and inpatient care or their IT bosses. The background to this political initiative was, among other things, a large pilot project by the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which showed that the administrative effort can be reduced in a pediatric context.
The British Medical Association, the British Medical Association (BMA), is now somewhat on the brakes. She turned to the medical facilities in a circular and warns of overzeal. AVTS are not rejected, but care is required when choosing the product. Specifically, users should: In the inside, ask three questions and answer them positively before installing appropriate tools:
- Has the corresponding institution have an appropriate assessment of data security and a data protection sequence assessment?
- Was the product that is to be used as a medical device class I certified?
- Does the product to be used does it adhere to the NHS recommendations for such products?
It is particularly interesting for point 2. In Great Britain, there has been a separate admission system for medical devices since Brexit, which deviates from the European in some points. Regardless of this, many in both the UK and, for example, in Germany, for example, that AVT tools as documentation tools do not have to be medical devices. So there could be a change of heart, although the BMA is of course not the approval authority, that is the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (Mhra) in UK.
In the short letter, the BMA then points out relatively clearly that the liability for any damage caused by the use of AVT solutions lies at the end of the useful facility. This also applies to constellations in which AVT solutions are not used as separate products, but are integrated into existing health IT solutions-for example practical or clinic information systems.
More information
Guidelines of NHS England to use AVT solutions
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guidance-on-the-use-of-ai-enabled-ambient-scribing-products-in-health-and-care-settings/
Warning of the British Medical Association of AVT solutions
