4.2 AI scribes – understanding the medicolegal risks and rewards
Tracks
Crown Ballroom 3A
Thursday, October 23, 2025 |
1:10 PM - 1:40 PM |
Crown Ballroom 3A |
Details
Format: Practical workshop (60-minute)
Speaker
Dr Owen Bradfield
Chief Medical Officer
Medical Indemnity Protection Society
AI scribes – understanding the medicolegal risks and rewards
1:10 PM - 2:15 PMAbstract Overview
Over the last 18 months, there has been a rapid increase in the use of AI scribes, with an estimated 10% of general practices across the country using these tools on a daily basis. The tools work by audio recording a consultation, converting voice into a written transcript, and then adopting large language AI models to generate a summarised templated output. AI scribes are a game-changer, with the potential to save busy rural generalists many hours per week and improve the efficiency and accuracy of medical records. They are also slated to reduce clinician burnout and ease the pressure associated with workforce shortages in primary care, especially in rural and remote communities. However, the technology raises some important medicolegal issues that rural generalists need to understand and address before safely adopting this technology into their standard practice. These include the importance of obtaining consent, understanding data flows, checking the accuracy of outputs and ensuring compliance with Australian privacy laws. This workshop provides an important opportunity for Rural Generalists to hear about these tools, the latest cases and developments and to have their important questions answered.
Biography
Dr Owen Bradfield is the Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS). Owen is a medical practitioner, health lawyer and health law researcher, with 15 years’ experience in the medical indemnity insurance industry. He has advised and represented medical practitioners in a range of medico-legal disputes, including civil claims, regulatory complaints, employment disputes, Coronial inquests and Medicare investigations. Owen is passionate about advocating for fair and kind regulatory processes and supporting practitioners who are navigating complex medico-legal problems. Owen is also a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, where he examines the intersection between doctors’ health and legal claims. Owen’s research has been internationally recognised as a 2020 Fulbright Scholar and winner of the 2022 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research in the Health Services Research category. Owen is also Deputy Chairperson of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Ethics Committee.
