The hidden cost of free medical AI

The allure of free medical AI solutions can be tempting. But, there's often more to the story than meets the eye. 

The use of AI clinical scribe in healthcare 

New AI notetaking tools are being backed by the NHS as a way of helping doctors spend more time with their patients. And of course, software built for healthcare needs to meet vital regulatory requirements. 

So before choosing a solution, you need to know they meet these conditions. In this case, scribe tools can be self-assessed as a Class I medical device (the device is generally lower risk), or Class IIa or Class IIb medical device (being subjected to a higher level of scrutiny as they present a higher level of clinical impact). 

Tools can also be placed on the Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) register to give organisations another level of assurance. But it’s important to remember that suppliers self-assess for these statuses, and so you may want to check that your provider of choice does in fact meet the requirements you expect. 

The hidden costs behind free healthcare AI 

You may well have seen systems described as the ‘best free AI medical scribe’ promising to revolutionise your processes with nothing in return. But while these offers can look good on the surface, it's worth exploring beyond the initial cost savings and consider the potential hidden expenses. 

1. Data security and privacy concerns 

One of the primary hidden costs associated with free medical AI scribe is related to data security and privacy. When using these tools, healthcare organisations must ensure that patient data is protected from unauthorised access, breaches, or misuse. 

Providers that have your best interest at heart will already have implemented robust security protocols to safeguard patient data, and ensure adherence to strict NHS data standards. 

2. Limited integration 

Free medical AI solutions may not work as you would expect within existing electronic patient records (EPRs) systems. And while free on the face of it, you can end up paying more than you planned for to get the functionalities you need. 

3. Quality and accuracy concerns

Free medical AI solutions need to undergo rigorous testing or validation to ensure things like accuracy, clinical understanding, and avoid bias. Without it, organisations risk accuracy and reliability issues. And as you know, inaccurate or unreliable results can impact patient care and outcomes. So that’s why it’s so important to use sophisticated tools that don’t just convert speech to text but understand the technical terminology you use every single day. 

4. The ‘copy-paste’ issue 

Another concern with using AI-generated clinical notes that can’t integrate into the EPR is the potential for clinicians to simply ‘copy-paste’ the generated text into critical systems without thoroughly reviewing or editing it first. But this can lead to: 

• Lack of personalisation: Generic AI-generated notes may not capture the nuances of a patient's specific situation or the clinician's professional judgment, potentially leading to a lack of personalised care. 
• Inaccurate or incomplete information: AI-generated notes may contain errors or omit important details, which can be perpetuated if copied into EPRs without review. Having transcription tools built specifically for primary care means editable and auditable clinical notes can be saved directly into the EPR, giving you the confidence it’s picked up exactly what it needs to. 

How to mitigate the risks of free Scribe AI 

AI is being used throughout primary care, but of course, there’ll be speculation and anxiety among some because these tools need to be safe and effective. To mitigate these risks, healthcare organisations should consider strategies such as: 

• Review and edit: Your clinicians should be able to thoroughly review and edit AI-generated notes before saving them into the EPR. Robust tools will be auditable too, so they can make adjustments and evidence the changes made. 
• Customisation and training: AI solutions should be designed to meet the specific needs of your organisations and your clinicians, being intuitive to use so to avoid disruption your busy service. 
• Data handling practices: Ensure that patient data is handled securely and in compliance with relevant regulations. Look for software providers that care about your patient’s data just as much as you do. 

OneAdvanced Scribe, backed by IQ Health 

With over 30 years of deep sector knowledge, we’ve now developed our Class I ambient scribe built specifically for the healthcare sector.  

Scribe, your AI clinical assistant, captures your consultations in full, extracting vital clinical data and auto-populates editable notes in real-time. And backed by IQ Health, it means you can tailor your workflows, service, experience, and platform to meet your unique needs. 

Discover more about Scribe for Primary Care today!