The Office of the Auditor General of Ontario has released a troubling report indicating that AI note-taking systems utilized by healthcare providers frequently produce inaccurate and misleading information. This audit evaluated 20 approved AI systems under the Ontario Ministry of Health’s AI Scribe program, which is designed to assist physicians and nurse practitioners.
Findings of the Audit
The audit revealed that 60% of the assessed AI systems incorrectly mixed up prescribed medications in patient notes. Additionally, nine out of the 20 systems fabricated information and suggested treatment plans that were not discussed during consultations. Some of the inaccuracies included false statements about patients’ conditions, such as incorrectly noting the presence of masses or patient anxiety, which were not part of the recorded discussions.
Specific Errors Identified
Among the systems evaluated, 12 inserted incorrect drug information into patient records, while 17 failed to capture essential details regarding patients’ mental health issues. Six systems either partially or completely missed these critical aspects, raising alarms about the potential for misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
Evaluation Criteria Under Scrutiny
The report criticized the evaluation process for these AI systems, noting that the criteria used to assess their performance were flawed. For instance, only 4% of the total evaluation score was based on the accuracy of medical notes, while 30% was attributed to whether the vendor had a domestic presence in Ontario. This misalignment of priorities could lead to the selection of vendors whose systems produce unreliable medical records.
Recommendations and Industry Response
OntarioMD, an organization supporting physicians in technology adoption, has advised doctors to manually verify the accuracy of AI-generated notes. However, the audit pointed out that none of the approved systems include a mandatory attestation feature to ensure accuracy. The Ontario Health Ministry has not yet responded to inquiries regarding compliance with the audit’s recommendations, although they noted that over 5,000 physicians are currently using the AI Scribe program without reported patient harm.
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