Ontario launching AI program to help reduce doctor paperwork
The Ontario government is launching an artificial intelligence program they say will help reduce the paperwork burden on family doctors while also removing a requirement that employees provide a doctor's note when off sick.
The announcement was made by Health Minister Sylvia Jones in Toronto on Wednesday.
“Our government is launching an innovative program called AI scribe for more than 150 primary care providers that safely uses artificial intelligence to automatically summarize or transcribe conversations with patients who consent into electronic medical notes,” she told reporters.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Officials noted that patient information will continue to be protected under the Personal Health Information Protection Act. They cite research that suggests AI scribes reduced the time doctors spent on after-hours documentation by up to 50 per cent.
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) says that family doctors spend about 19 hours a week on administrative tasks. This includes about four hours writing notes or completing forms for patients.
With 2.3 million Ontarians without a family doctor, OMA President Andrew Park says that’s “clearly inappropriate and must be fixed.”
“Doctors are spending almost as much of their time in front of their computers as they are in front of patients,” Park said.
Park said that paperwork keeps physicians from seeing more patients as well as achieving a work-life balance. He welcomed the funding for AI scribes and said he looks forward to seeing the results of the pilot program.
Jones said there is a committee reviewing ways to further reduce the paperwork burden.
The province is also replacing the use of fax machines, further digitizing referral and consultation forms, and encouraging the use of digital tools to make it more convenient to share forms. Officials say they hope all of these efforts will save doctor's about 95,000 hours of administrative tasks per year.
Fewer sick notes
The government also announced it would prohibit a requirement for employers that mandates a doctor’s note be presented when a worker takes “job-protected sick leave.”
Ontario residents are entitled to at least three mandated sick days.
Jones added that employers who require reasonable evidence of an illness should accept attestations or declarations rather than a written note.
“Over time we would like to see sick notes eliminated entirely” Park said at the news conference. “This is practical as physicians can’t diagnose illness after the fact and it saves workers both time and money.”
The health minister did not say why sick notes weren’t banned.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.