Doctors of BC, in collaboration with Canada Health Infoway (CHI) and the eHealth Centre of Health Excellence, conducted a small pilot program from late 2024 until early 2025 to better understand BC physicians’ experiences with artificial intelligence (AI) scribes.
Over 30 community-based physicians used an AI scribe for up to six weeks, providing extensive data and feedback on their experience—including tracking documentation time, completing surveys, and participating in focus groups. As part of this pilot, AI scribes were used for over 7,000 appointments, averaging 270 appointments per physician.
Key findings
One key result of the pilot was that family physicians and community-based specialists experienced a reduction in cognitive burden, with participants sharing that using an AI scribe is “practice-changing" and lets them “just be doctors.” Another was the significant reduction in administrative burdens for physicians, which is an integral component of Doctors of BC’s digital health priorities. Specifically, the results showed:
- An estimated weekly reduction of 2.7 hours in administrative work for family physicians.
- A reduction in after-appointment documentation time, averaging 3.4 minutes per appointment per family physician, which, at 100 appointments per week, could lead to a weekly savings of 5.7 hours.
Other highlights include:
- 97% of participants would recommend using an AI scribe to their colleagues.
- 78% of participants felt that having more time to use AI scribe as part of their workflow would lead to more practice efficiencies.
- Patients also had positive experiences, with 78% agreeing they felt their doctor was “able to pay more attention to [them]” than during previous visits without the AI scribe.
A high-level summary of the findings, including identified challenges and next steps, can be found in our What We Heard report.
AI scribe resources
As shown in the pilot results, AI has the power to enhance patient care and remove administrative burdens for physicians. However, appropriate safeguards and governance are needed to mitigate risks. Doctors of BC is supporting members with various tools and resources when navigating the use of AI scribes in their practices, including:
- AI scribe recorded webinar: supports doctors in assessing the value of AI scribes in practice and how to use them effectively and safely.
- Guidance for implementing AI scribe: provides practical considerations for choosing and implementing an AI scribe solution in practice and help integrating AI into clinic workflows.
- Artificial Intelligence in Health Care policy statement: outlines necessary steps and commitments to support responsible and effective integration of AI in BC’s health care system.
Physician input is crucial
To further support the adoption of AI scribes in community practices, Doctors of BC, in collaboration with the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) and CHI, is developing additional tools and resources. To ensure they meet doctors’ needs and priorities, members are encouraged to share their feedback via our AI Scribe Adoption Support survey.
No charge access to trial AI scribe
Canada Health Infoway (CHI) is offering family physicians and community-based pediatricians the opportunity to trial an AI scribe in their practice at no charge for one year. The pre-qualified vendors, many of which can integrate with the majority of EMRs, were selected through CHI’s Request for Pre-Qualification process, which included BC physicians in the development and evaluation process. Licences are expected to be available in June 2025. Please refer to CHI’s AI Scribe Program webpage for the latest details, and register to receive enrolment details.
