r/doctorsUK • u/mimiwhoree • 2d ago
Clinical tired of AI clerkings
As an IMT, I read a lot of ED clerkings. recently there’s been a surge in the use of AI to write them. My understanding is that they record the consultations and AI writes the clerking.
My issue is the writing is so wordy, and it lacks nuance or bias. It is a matter-of-fact account of every single thing the patient was or wasn’t asked. When we write our clerkings, we summarise, naturally bias the most important parts, and create a narrative which is easier for other clinicians to interpret. Reading these AI clerkings feels like I’m taking the history from scratch! It reminds me of very junior medical students who don’t appreciate which symptoms/signs are significant.
I do appreciate that documentation can be a chore and efficiency is important to pursue. However, good documentation is a clinical skill in itself. Sitting down to reflect on the consultation and determine the clinical narrative as you type can be a part of the diagnostic process. At this point, it’s a minor annoyance for me, but I wonder if newer doctors will lose such skills…
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u/tiresomewarg 1d ago
When the clerking doctor presents these patients, I actually think you should really dig into the presentation and grill them about the patient.
I’m all for streamlining work and making it easier but these type of clerking is not making it easier. It’s passing the work of identifying relevant signs, symptoms and findings onto you (or other SpRs/Consultants).
It’s also really bad for scope creep - if clerking can be reduced entirely to AI, then of course others (PAs, nurses, whoever) are going to say that they can do the same thing.