New paper: Use of AI scribes in UK primary care
A new paper from CanDetect researchers, published in npj Digital Medicine, explores how UK GPs are using AI scribes in primary care, and what clinicians think about their benefits and risks.
AI scribes use ambient voice technology and artificial intelligence to automatically generate clinical notes during consultations. These tools are increasingly being adopted in general practice, despite limited national guidance around governance and implementation.
The study surveyed 598 UK GPs and found that:
- 40% currently use AI scribes;
- 23% had used them previously;
- current users reported using them in around 60% of consultations.
GPs described benefits including reduced administrative workload, faster documentation, and improved focus during patient consultations.
However, concerns remained around:
- patient safety;
- data governance and confidentiality;
- medicolegal liability;
- accuracy and overreliance on AI-generated notes.
The findings highlight both the growing role of AI tools in primary care and the need for clearer guidance to support safe and equitable implementation.
Read the paper
The full paper is available here:
“Use of AI scribes in UK primary care: a survey of general practitioners”, published in npj Digital Medicine. (nature.com)