FOI 26-3154 – Departmental AI Scribe Use

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 10 Jul 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

The Department of Health and Aged Care disclosed departmental briefings on artificial intelligence use in healthcare, specifically addressing AI scribes in general practice settings. Documents from October 2025 and February 2026 estimates hearings outline that rapid uptake of administrative AI tools, particularly AI scribes by GPs, has raised safety concerns. The department partnered with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to develop clinical guidance advising that clinicians understand AI scribe risks, remain accountable for accuracy of AI-generated notes, and obtain informed patient consent. The guidance notes that when AI scribes provide diagnoses, treatment options, or undiscussed information, they meet the definition of a medical device, triggering regulatory implications. RACGP and AHPRA have also released separate advice. Documents reference productivity gains from AI automation of low-complexity administrative tasks, though substantive details on specific clinical outcomes or regulatory recommendations are largely redacted (marked s22).