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Technology
Mar 28, 2026

Australian GPs Embrace AI Scribes for Patient Notes, Raising Concerns Over Care and Consent

AI Summary
The use of AI scribes by Australian GPs has nearly doubled in a year, with 40% now using the technology to record patient notes. While it helps with administrative burden, concerns are raised about patient consent, privacy, and accuracy.

Australian GPs are increasingly turning to AI scribes to record patient notes, with 40% now using the technology, according to a Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) online poll. This represents a significant increase from 22% in August 2024.

AI tools, such as those offered by Australian company Heidi, record, transcribe, and summarize conversations between doctors and patients for medical notes. Dr. Max Mollenkopf, a GP based in Newcastle, emphasizes the importance of transparency with patients, stating, “We make a big effort to let patients know we are using AI, and give them the option to opt out.”

While AI scribes can help relieve doctors' administrative burden, experts point to concerns about consent, privacy, and accuracy. Dr. Elizabeth Deveny, chief executive of the Consumer Health Forum, notes that not all practices are having explicit conversations about the tools with patients.

Some GPs see AI scribes as a way to better connect with patients during consultations, allowing them to focus on the patient directly rather than typing notes. However, Dr. Caitlin Curtis, a University of Queensland researcher, warns that outsourcing note-keeping to AI may lead to doctors failing to retain and recall patient conversations.

The RACGP president, Dr. Michael Wright, is optimistic about AI tools helping patients and GPs work more closely together, but emphasizes the need for patient consent and verification of AI output. Heidi co-founder Dr. Tom Kelly assures that data is processed securely and not used to train the AI or sold to others.