‘Is it OK to record your visit?’ What to know about doctors and AI scribes
‘Is it OK to record your visit?’ What to know about doctors and AI scribes
https://www.wbur.org/upnext/2026/05/05/artificial-intelligence-primary-care-privacy
Publish Date: 2026-05-05 05:40:00
Source Domain: www.wbur.org
- Increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Massachusetts for clinical documentation during patient visits to streamline note-taking.
- About 28% of U.S. physicians are already using AI for clinical documentation, with most expecting the technology to become more common.
- AI scribes at Mass General Brigham allow doctors to focus more on patient interaction, potentially reducing burnout.
- Studies show modest time savings of about 16 minutes per day for physicians, but a sense of burden relief is cited as a key reason for reduced stress.
- Physicians must obtain patient consent before recording visits, and recorded data is destroyed after use in note generation.
- AI-generated notes must be reviewed and proofread by doctors due to potential errors and misinterpretations.
- Mass General Brigham is investigating concerns about bias, particularly around equitable access to AI scribe services among all patients.
- Patients are advised to ask questions about AI use in their care to understand how it impacts their treatment and privacy.
