As physicians, we understand that your patients may have questions and concerns about new technologies, especially when it comes to their personal health information and care. This blog is designed as a resource for your patients to help them understand the role of AI-powered tools like Pippen in your clinic. It provides clear, concise answers to frequently asked questions about how AI is used to support physicians, enhance patient care, and maintain privacy and security.
This handout is designed to reassure patients about the role of AI in your clinic, emphasizing how it supports you, the physician, in delivering high-quality care while safeguarding their privacy and security. By distributing this handout, you can help your patients understand the benefits and limitations of AI in healthcare, ensuring they feel informed and comfortable with this technology.
We encourage you to use this handout (available below and as a downloadable .docx) as a resource to foster transparency, build trust, and enhance the patient experience.
Understanding AI in Your Healthcare: A Guide for Patients
Introduction
As healthcare continues to evolve with new technologies, you may have questions about how these tools impact your care. This handout is designed to provide you with clear and straightforward answers to common questions about our AI assistant. Here, you’ll learn how the AI supports your doctor, the benefits and limitations of using this technology, and what it means for your healthcare experience. Our goal is to help you feel informed and confident about the role of AI in your care. Your health and well-being are always our top priority, and we’re here to ensure you have all the information you need.
FAQs
1. What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that uses computer algorithms to mimic human thought processes. It can analyze and summarize information, classify data, solve problems, make decisions, and perform various other tasks. AI also has the ability to learn and adapt based on new data, continuously improving its performance and capabilities over time.
2. How does my clinic use AI?
At our clinic, we use an AI-powered software called Pippen to enhance patient care, streamline administrative tasks, and improve overall efficiency. Before using this technology during your appointment, your physician will always ask for your consent. Pippen helps by recording and transcribing your appointment, allowing your physician to focus more on your medical needs without the distraction of taking notes. This ensures that your doctor can provide you with their full attention while still maintaining accurate records for legal and medical purposes.
Additionally, Pippen can summarize key clinical insights, assisting your doctor in making well-informed decisions. However, it’s important to note that Pippen cannot replace your doctor’s clinical judgment; it serves solely as a support tool to enhance the care you receive. Your physician remains fully responsible for all clinical decisions and the quality of your care.
3. What happens to the data that goes into the AI system?
If you provide consent, Pippen will record and transcribe your appointment. All data is stored securely on servers located in Canada, ensuring that it meets strict privacy and security standards. Only your physician has access to your personal health information, and they can choose to delete it at any time. Audio recordings are deleted immediately after transcription to further protect your privacy.
To continuously improve the AI system, de-identified and anonymized data may be used. This means that any data used for system improvements cannot be traced back to you, maintaining complete confidentiality and safeguarding your privacy.
4. Does my data remain private and secure?
Yes, your data remains private and secure. Protecting patient privacy, confidentiality, and data security is our top priority. Pippen adheres to the highest standards of privacy policies and regulations, specifically following the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
PHIPA is an Ontario law that governs how personal health information is collected, used, and disclosed by healthcare providers. It ensures that your health information is kept confidential and that your privacy is protected. Key features of PHIPA include obtaining consent before collecting personal health information and holding healthcare providers accountable for complying with these regulations.
PIPEDA is a Canadian law that regulates how organizations handle personal information. It ensures a balance between protecting individuals’ privacy and the legitimate business interests of organizations. PIPEDA emphasizes the importance of consent and accountability, requiring organizations to be transparent about how they use personal information and ensuring that its use is reasonable and appropriate.
By following these regulations, Pippen ensures that your personal health information is handled with the utmost care and security, keeping your privacy intact.
5. How does the AI system ensure my data is private and secure?
The AI system is designed with multiple layers of security and privacy measures to protect your personal health information. Here are some of the key steps taken to ensure privacy and data security:
- Formal Privacy Impact Assessments: The system undergoes rigorous Privacy Impact Assessments to ensure compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
- Secure Data Hosting: All data and AI models are hosted on private, secure servers located exclusively in Canada, ensuring compliance with Canadian privacy laws.
- Data Encryption: Your data is encrypted both at rest and in transit, providing robust protection against unauthorized access.
- Automatic Deletion of Audio Recordings: Any audio recordings made during your appointment are automatically deleted after they have been transcribed.
- Minimal Data Collection: The AI system requires only minimal information to start an encounter, reducing the amount of personal data handled.
- Comprehensive Safeguards: The system incorporates appropriate physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect your data:
- Physical Safeguards: Data is stored virtually on secure cloud services, meeting all physical security requirements.
- Administrative Safeguards: Regular privacy and security assessments are conducted to ensure ongoing compliance and risk mitigation.
- Technical Safeguards: The system uses best practices for technical security, including Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates, secure cloud architecture, password strength tools, and data encryption.
- Transparent Documentation: Documentation is available detailing privacy and security measures, how consent is obtained, and alignment with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) guidelines on AI tools.
- These measures are in place to ensure that your personal health information remains confidential, secure, and protected at all times.
6. Is my data sent anywhere outside the AI platform?
No. Your data remains within the secure AI platform.
7. Does my data leave Canada?
No. Pippen stores and processes all patient data in Canada.
8. Does the AI make clinical decisions for my healthcare?
Our AI tool is designed to assist with summarizing information, taking notes, and providing administrative support. While the AI may offer recommendations and suggestions, your family physician is the one who makes all final clinical decisions. The AI is here to support your physician by providing additional insights, but it will never replace the physician’s expertise and oversight. Your healthcare always relies on the knowledge and judgment of your physician, with the AI serving as an additional resource to enhance care.
9. What are the pros and cons of my doctor using AI?
Pros:
- Enhanced Efficiency: AI can streamline documentation and administrative tasks, allowing your doctor to spend more time on direct patient care and engagement during your appointments.
- Improved Accuracy: AI can assist in providing accurate diagnoses and treatment recommendations, supporting your doctor in making well-informed decisions.
- More Focus on Patient Care: With AI handling routine tasks, doctors can dedicate more time to patient interactions and overall care.
Cons:
- Data Privacy and Security Concerns: The use of AI involves handling sensitive patient data, which may raise concerns about privacy and data security.
- Need for Training: Implementing new technology like AI requires additional training for doctors and healthcare staff to use it effectively.
- Risk of Bias: AI systems can sometimes reflect biases present in the data they are trained on, which might affect recommendations and decisions.
- Technical Issues: Like any technology, AI systems can experience technical problems or glitches that may impact their performance.
- Potential Over-reliance: There is a risk that doctors might rely too heavily on AI, potentially overlooking their own clinical judgment and experience.
10. What does it mean for AI to “train” on data? Is my data used to train the models (e.g. OpenAI’s models?)
When AI “trains” on data, it learns from both historical and new information to enhance its accuracy and performance. The more data the system processes, the better it becomes at recognizing patterns and making informed suggestions. However, no patient data is sent to third-party systems, like OpenAI, for model training. Your data may be used within the Pippen software to refine its models and improve the platform specifically for your doctor’s use, but it will never be sent outside of the Pippen system for training purposes. This ensures your data remains secure and private.
11. What if I don’t want to consent to my doctor using AI?
You have the right to decline the use of AI in your medical care. If you prefer not to use AI, simply let your physician know, and they will fully respect your decision. Your doctor will only incorporate AI technology into your care with your explicit consent.
12. What if I have more questions?
If you have more questions, please contact your physician, who can answer any other questions you may have.