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New Zealand general practices, from large corporate groups to small community-based clinics, are moving to integrate AI scribes into their workflows.
Last month, Health Accelerator, a joint venture between four of New Zealand's largest primary care groups – Pegasus, Pinnacle, ProCare, and Tū Ora Compass Health, entered into a partnership with Australian AI scribe developer Heidi.
Based on a media release, the partnership offers two exclusive pricing options to those who will sign up through Health Accelerator: a discounted per-user rate and an Enrolled Services Unit-based model that covers all staff.
"Since announcing our partnership to bring the Heidi AI scribe to general practices across New Zealand, we've seen strong early interest from a wide range of practices," the collaborative's chief executive Paul Roseman told Healthcare IT News.
Without giving the number of GPs who have signed up, uptake has been "encouraging," Roseman said, with practices across various ownership models, including GP networks, corporate groups, and community-based clinics, engaging with the offer.
Uptake was also wide across both urban and rural areas, which he said suggests Heidi’s pitch of reducing administrative burden and freeing up clinician time is "resonating broadly."
The exclusive pricing options, he added, ensure that "smaller or rural practices can still benefit from the technology, with pricing tiers designed to accommodate varying practice sizes and patient volumes."
THE LARGER CONTEXT
Demand for AI scribes in New Zealand shot up following the initial endorsement of a Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand advisory group for two brands – Heidi and iMedX – in July. The AI tool's popularity was also affirmed by a recent Bank of New Zealand survey, which found two-thirds of private providers have used or considered AI scribes and similar AI tools to lessen workload and free up more time.
The Ministry of Health then moved to purchase 1,000 licenses for the use of AI scribe from providers, including Heidi, for emergency clinicians.
Still, the National Artificial Intelligence and Algorithm Expert Advisory Group urges caution when using such tools in the public health system, noting risks around privacy breaches, inaccurate outputs, bias, limited transparency, and data sovereignty, even as they generate consultation notes, referral letters, and patient summaries in near real time.
"AI will never replace clinical skill or judgement, but it can support our people to do what they do best – provide timely, quality care to New Zealanders," Health Minister Simeon Brown recently said in a statement.
Meanwhile, since launching in July, Health Accelerator has offered a bunch of other digital assistants performing various clinical and administrative tasks for GPs besides Heidi. The collaborative is currently reviewing expressions of interest from companies that are keen to work with them, "and will be announcing further partnerships and offers/services in due course," said its chief.
