Record keeping apps have the potential to free up time to spend with patients but there are risks as well as rewards, as the DDU’s Simon Kidd explains
At its heart, dentistry will always be about human interactions between professionals and patients but we’re fast discovering how useful AI can be in dental practice, and that includes tasks like record keeping.
Although there’s no doubt about the potential time-saving benefits of AI, you also need to think about the implications for your practice and patients. Here are five dento-legal risks and how to mitigate them:
- Accuracy
Natural language processing can turn your recorded speech into text or predict what you want to say but its suggestions are not 100% reliable. Always check the accuracy of AI-generated text before adding it to a record to avoid compromising patient care.
As the treating dental professional, the GDC says “You must ensure that all documentation that records your work, including patient records, is clear, legible, accurate, and can be readily understood by others.” (Para 4.1.4, Standards for the Dental Team)
- Integrity
Some AI software uses generic templates with suggested content in response to prompt words but these require editing to make them patient specific. The discovery of identical wording across multiple record entries can raise questions whether your records truly reflected what had taken place.
While more sophisticated AI software uses speech recognition to create a transcript of the consultation and then summarises this for you to approve, it’s still essential to check this summary is a true reflection of what happened. Erroneous entries could undermine the integrity of your records – and your defence – in the event of a claim.
- Confidentiality
Data protection is always a concern when using software, especially if it involves a third-party provider storing sensitive personal information or using it to train their model (some anonymise patient data). It’s important that practices have privacy and data security policies in place and ensure that third-party providers also have appropriate measures in place to comply with UK data protection law.
The Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital regulations service (a collaboration between NICE, the CQC and others) has put together guidance for adopters, including a data compliance checklist. There are also general resources on AI and data protection on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website, including a risk toolkit for organisations.
Individual dental professionals should use AI systems that have been approved by the practice and follow workplace policies.
- Informing patients
Responses to AI can range from enthusiasm to outright suspicion. Explaining what you are doing and why at the outset might prompt objections, but saying nothing might damage trust and lead to complaints.
Your Privacy Notice should already include information about the types of personal data you hold, reasons for processing it, the lawful basis for doing so, when it might be shared, and patients’ legal rights. We recommend seeking specific advice on how to update the Privacy Notice to include the adoption of AI.
- Training and monitoring
Even though AI record-keeping tools can be highly intuitive, you should ensure everyone using them has the appropriate training, such as how to review and edit notes, and how to correct errors (including the date, time and who made the correction).
Encourage colleagues to raise problems as they arise so you can address these with your provider. You should also review the performance of AI software, including asking for user feedback and checking AI-generated records are contemporaneous, complete and accurate in line with GDC standards.
About the Author
Simon Kidd is a dento-legal adviser at the DDU.
The DDU provides professional dental indemnity for dentists and dental care professionals as well as dento-legal guidance and advice.
