North East paramedics experiment with AI note-taking tool

Paramedics are experimenting with the use of AI assistants in frontline services.

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said it was in the middle of an eight-week trial studying the effectiveness of technology that records, transcribes and summarises patient conversations.

It said 38 individuals, ranging from paramedics to operational staff, were involved in the study and that it hoped the software may reduce staff workload.

The organisation's digital clinical lead Georgina Campbell said the trial would help the team better understand how emerging technology could be used "safely and effectively".

The AI tool works via the in-built iPad microphones used by ambulance staff, according to the NEAS, and is being used in real-world interactions between patients and paramedics.

All notes generated by the AI ambient voice technology, are reviewed and edited by a clinician before they are added to a patient's record, an NEAS spokesperson said.

The ambulance service said it had several hopes for the technology including the potential for it to improve record-keeping consistency and accuracy.

Campbell said: "This trial will help us understand how emerging technology can be used safely and effectively, while maintaining the high standards of care and record keeping that our patients and communities expect."

A spokesperson said the organisation would decide on the tool's future after the trial had concluded in November.

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