PEI in national AI scribe pilot program

CHARLOTTETOWN – Health PEI is participating in a national pilot program, in collaboration with Canada Health Infoway and other provinces and territories, to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) scribe technology in primary care settings.

The AI scribe technology is designed to reduce the administrative burden associated with clinical documentation, allowing healthcare providers to spend more time focusing on patient care.

During an appointment, the AI scribe creates a temporary audio recording and transcript of the conversation between the patient and their provider. The provider reviews, edits, and approves the documentation before adding it to the patient’s electronic medical record, ensuring that providers remain fully responsible for all clinical documentation and decision-making.

“Health PEI is committed to exploring innovative solutions that improve both the patient and provider experience. While new technologies like AI offer significant potential, it is critical that they are introduced thoughtfully and responsibly. This pilot will help us better understand how AI tools can be safely and effectively integrated into our health system, while keeping patient care, clinical judgment and privacy at the forefront,” said Dr. Johan Viljoen (pictured), chief medical officer of Health PEI.

Under this national initiative, Health PEI is conducting a one-year pilot, running until January 2027, with up to 100 eligible healthcare providers using a single AI scribe solution integrated with the provincial electronic medical record. Participating providers include primary care providers and community-based pediatricians from practices located across Prince Edward Island.

“The AI scribe has helped me document patient visits more efficiently while capturing more of the patient’s perspective and reducing the time I spend typing. It allows me to maintain focus on the meaningful conversations with my patients during their appointments, which I really value. I find I am also finishing charts faster after hours, which is very helpful. While it’s still early days for the pilot, it is already making my workflow more streamlined,” said Dr. Kristy Newson, family physician in Charlottetown

Early results from other jurisdictions participating in the national program have been encouraging. In a survey conducted by Canada Health Infoway, 94 percent of participating clinicians reported that AI scribes save them time, with 62 percent indicating time savings of 30 minutes or more per day.

Patient choice and transparency are central to the pilot. Participating healthcare providers must obtain patient consent before using AI scribe during an appointment.

Patients will receive information ahead of their visit about how the technology works so they can make an informed choice. Choosing not to use the AI scribe will not affect the quality of care received, and patients may opt out at any time during their visit.

Protecting the privacy and security of Islanders’ personal health information remains a top priority. The pilot adheres to strict privacy, security, and data protection standards to ensure information is securely stored and protected against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Insights from the pilot program will help inform Health PEI’s longer-term strategy for responsibly integrating AI technologies into health care delivery across the province.