– It is probably the biggest change in the workflow that I have had in my 16 years as a GP, says Stian Ellingsen Lobben. For the last four months, he has been testing out a new artificial intelligence program, and he likes the experience. Takes care of the office work The computer program, which was developed by the Norwegian company Medbric, is connected to a microphone. Everything that is said during the consultation is recorded and converted into a document on the PC screen. In this way, the doctor can concentrate on the patient, instead of taking notes of the conversation along the way. The Medbric program has currently been tested by over 400 doctors in Norway Photo: Ingvald Nordmark / news – The computer program probably makes better notes than what I myself would have taken the time to do, admits Lobben. The audio recording is then turned into a journal note, which can also be turned into a doctor’s report or a referral to a specialist. Saves time The way Lobben has experienced the program so far, he quickly saves 300 hours of work a year. A normal working year is just under 1,700 hours, while most permanent doctors work quite a bit more than that. – But you can also manage to treat more patients in a shorter time with the help of this programme. So that doesn’t automatically mean that there will be better time for each patient? – Yes. If I want to shoot myself in the foot, I probably can, but it’s unlikely, says Lobben. He points out that GPs work about 60 hours a week on average, and reckons that most are happy to reduce that number of hours. Stian E. Lobben especially saves time on administrative tasks by using the AI program Photo: Ingvald Nordmark / news But in a situation where money is very important, the program can make it possible to receive even more patients, he admits. A collaboration It is about a year since doctor and researcher Jorunn Thaulow at the University of Oslo (UiO) met technologist Jon Espen Ingvaldsen at NTNU in Trondheim. Together they started developing Medbric. A program to improve efficiency in the health sector using generative AI. Around 400 doctors have been involved in testing the program since it was completed for practical use. Jon Espen Ingvaldsen and Jorunn Thaulow started the company Medbric a year ago. Photo: Kai T. Dragland – Our survey shows that doctors save an average of 30-40 minutes every day when it comes to administrative work, says Jorunn Thaulow. She has received feedback from just over 40 doctors who use the program daily. – 70 per cent of them also report that they achieve better contact with the patients, says Thaulow. Not flawless Stian E. Lobben thinks he has stopped thinking about so many different work tasks now. Then the quality of the conversation with the patient will be better. – It is through the meeting, face to face, that I best form an opinion about the patient’s condition, says Lobben. Founder Jorunn Thaulow warns that the notes that the program makes on the basis of the patient interview may still contain errors. – It is a well-known fact that language models can engage in hallucinations, and invent something that the patient has not said, she says. Therefore, the program requires the doctors to read through the notes before they proceed in the system. Processing of health information The Danish Data Protection Authority is aware that the recording of conversations should not take place without the patient being informed in advance, writes Susanne Lie, who is legal department director at the Danish Data Protection Authority. The patient must be informed that the recording is taking place and what it will be used for. If the patient objects to the recording taking place, this must be respected by the doctor. Susanne Lie, subject director at the Norwegian Data Protection Authority Photo: Ilja C. Hendel When it comes to security around health information, the founders have been in contact with the Norwegian Directorate of Health. and consulting lawyers in the guidance service for artificial intelligence there, says Thaulow. The Norwegian Directorate of Health confirms that they have had contact in connection with the guidance service on artificial intelligence. But clarifies that their role in this case is only to provide general guidance on the regulations. – Safety when processing health information is one of several aspects of taking care of privacy. Several other demands are also being made, says senior adviser Ragnhild Angell Holst in the Directorate of Health. The program follows the rules of health law and the privacy regulation, as adopted in the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the EU, and only stores data within the EEA in Europe. – Fair enough, the program uses the American company Amazone Web Services’ cloud solution, but only the one that is in use in Europe and not in the USA. says Thaulow. Published 28.10.2024, at 9.30 p.m
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GPs take audio recordings of the patients with the new AI program – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
