In September, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) issued guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) scribe tools to ensure any AI scribe tools being used by custodians, including family physicians, are compliant with the Health Information Act (HIA).
Most crucially, before using an AI scribe, custodians are now required under HIA to submit a privacy impact assessment (PIA) to the OIPC.
ACFP members may find the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta statement on these guidelines useful.
In addition, The Alberta Medical Association Principles and Policy Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Provision of Health Care offers a broader perspective on the use of AI in health care. This document addresses important aspects of AI usage for consideration, including:
- Identifying and mitigating biases in AI tools
- The importance of AI literacy
- The need for audit trails and clinician oversight
- Considerations for AI implementation
- Legal, regulatory, and safety standards for AI usage
- Security and ethical considerations for the use of patient data
- Ongoing evaluation processes for AI systems
- Environmental impact of AI usage
Note that many organizations and facilities will also have their own AI policies (e.g. Alberta Health Services (AHS), Covenant Health, etc.), and you will need to abide by those organizational standards when applicable.
