Privacy & Security Tips

December, 2024

The Legal and Privacy Considerations of AI Scribes

There can be many benefits to AI scribes, including saving time in documenting patient encounters and reducing your cognitive load. You can read about these benefits in OMD's AI Scribe Evaluation Report, a summary of the results of the AI scribe study led by OMD. With those benefits come legal and privacy risks, such as whether prospective AI scribe vendors are accessing and using patient data. 

It's important to manage the risks of using an AI scribe. There are key contractual elements to keep in mind before signing an agreement with an AI vendor, such as data ownership, control, and storage, term length, regulatory compliance, and more. Similarly, obtaining express consent from patients should be done before you first use an AI scribe. The consent must be valid and meaningful. As part of obtaining this consent, you can consider doing so using a consent form. To learn more about consent requirements, visit OMD's new AI Knowledge Zone, which provides a Patient Consent Toolkit, with ideas for how to seek patient consent and provide them necessary information on the use and risks of your AI scribe. Watch our latest OMD Educates webinar to help you choose the right AI scribe for your practice.  

Understanding privacy and security obligations is essential for clinicians. Check out all the privacy and security tips from our newsletter over the past year to better understand your responsibilities.  

Privacy and Security Tips for the Holidays (and Always) 

OMD's additional gifts to you this month are reminder tips to stay vigilant when using your devices as you browse and shop this holiday season. This is the time of year when scams and hacking abound. We hope you stay safe and your personal information stays protected. Happy Holidays! 

Read additional guidance from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario on the use of AI scribes in clinical practice.