Telstra Health launches AI tool to reduce GP admin burden

Telstra Health has introduced Smart Scribe, an AI-powered clinical note-taking tool, to help alleviate the administrative load faced by General Practitioners (GPs) in Australia.

Smart Scribe, integrated within MedicalDirector Clinical, automates the process of clinical documentation. This technology converts dialogues between patients and doctors into clinical notes, thereby reducing the manual effort involved in note-taking. It also aids in generating referral letters, patient summaries, and medical certificates, which can then be reviewed, edited, and saved by the clinician.

Telstra Health's Chief Technology Officer, Farhoud Salimi, highlighted the strategic partnerships in developing Smart Scribe, "When investing in AI scribing solutions, we weren't just looking to be first in market with any technology, but we wanted to work with partners who are deep experts and deliver real flexibility both in terms of accuracy, cost and scalability - all factors that are hugely important to our MedicalDirector customers."

The introduction of Smart Scribe comes at a time when 70% of GPs expressed concerns over their administrative workload, according to the 2024 RACGP Health of the Nation report. This shows an increase from 60% in the previous year, pointing to a growing need for solutions that can ease the administrative tasks of GPs.

Dr. Janice Tan, Clinical Director at Telstra Health and a practising GP, expressed the benefits of this integration, "By seamlessly integrating Smart Scribe with MedicalDirector Clinical, we're adopting a smarter way to work that significantly enhances workflow efficiency. Smart Scribe not only saves time but also improves the accuracy and efficiency of our practice, ultimately allowing us to focus more on delivering quality patient care. This is a game-changer for healthcare delivery, and I'm confident it will greatly benefit my fellow GPs and their patients across the country."

Smart Scribe is accessible via the SmartBar in MedicalDirector Clinical and is part of Telstra Health's suite of tools known as Smart Connected Care. This suite aims to optimise healthcare delivery for GPs and practice managers.

The AI-powered Smart Scribe offers flexibility, providing GPs with tiered pricing and feature options to suit different practice needs. Salimi added, "We have partnered with the best and most innovative healthcare AI companies. Heidi Health are Australian-founded and globally recognised and share our passion for solving the workflow challenges Australian clinicians face daily. Intellitek Health stood out because of their deep understanding of how AI transforms workflows across multiple industry sectors including financial services and telcos and have applied this learning for those working in healthcare."

Beta testing of Smart Scribe with approximately 140 GPs revealed an average saving of five minutes per patient consultation. This efficiency improvement translates to potential annual savings of up to USD $40,000 per GP. Dr. Tan stated, "With the flexibility to choose the AI provider that best suits their practice, Smart Scribe levels the playing field by allowing GPs and general practices to optimise their clinical documentation process with AI, without paying for features or functions they don't need."

Smart Scribe ensures compliance with the highest security standards, following AHPRA and RACGP guidelines. It securely stores documentation and patient information within Australian data centres, adhering to Telstra Health's security and compliance requirements. This adherence allows GPs to focus on patient care with peace of mind.