How an AI app is improving NHS wait times
15 minutes ago
BBC
The NHS’s largest roll out of artificial intelligence voice transcription software, is drastically improving waiting times, doctors have said
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is one of 15 NHS Trusts in the West Midlands to have jointly procured a transcription app called Heidi, which is being put to use in urgent care, outpatients and GP surgeries
The mobile phone app listens to conversations between doctors and patients using AI to generate written medical notes and letters, enabling medical staff to spend less time typing and more time on patient care
Dr Mohammed Jamil Aslam, said the software, which operates in 110 languages, is saving him six minutes per consultation
Aslam, an emergency consultant at Walsall Manor Hospital, told the BBC using AI to transcribe conversations with patients saves him time typing medical notes and letters, helping more patients to be diagnosed and treated
“[Patients] feel listened to. They feel the clinician is present. Rather than typing about their care, they’re delivering it. [Doctors] are actively listening and [patients] feel heard.”
At one clinic in Dudley the app is credited with reducing a backlog of posting patient letters from six months to 14 days
Ravinder Sahota, group chief information officer at The Dudley Group and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals, said the app is breaking down communication barriers
She said: “This is really key for us because a lot our patients who come, English is not their first language
“We get feedback that some of the letters we send out is too complex for them to understand as got a lot of medical terminology and we’re really excited about the fact we’ll be able to break down the barriers to communication with this software.”
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Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Artificial intelligence
NHS
Walsall
Dudley
Health
