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
BREAKING Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial has fined him US$1,000 for violating his gag order and sternly warned the former president that additional violation could result in jail time.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
WestJet, mechanics union agree to tentative deal to avoid strike
A potential strike between WestJet and its mechanics union appears to have been avoided.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.