NHS doctors have an exciting opportunity to be more present with their patients, thanks to the introduction of an AI assistant. The AI technology allows healthcare professionals to focus on listening to their patients rather than spending valuable time typing up documents and letters – tasks that the AI can handle efficiently. This innovative generative AI, known as Tortus, is currently undergoing trials in London, spearheaded by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), with plans for potential expansion to other regions.
Funded by NHS Frontline Digitisation, the trial encompasses approximately 5,000 patient assessments in various healthcare settings like hospitals, GP surgeries, A&E departments, and mental health services. Tortus utilises ambient voice technology, a combination of speech recognition and artificial intelligence, to extract pertinent medical details from conversations while filtering out irrelevant background noise. Its primary aim is to streamline administrative tasks for healthcare professionals by generating notes, follow-up letters, and suggesting clinical codes, which are then reviewed by the doctor.
Dr. Maaike Kusters, a paediatric immunology consultant at GOSH, expressed her excitement about the technology, stating that it has revolutionised her consultation process. She highlighted the importance of accurately capturing discussions with patients while also maintaining direct eye contact with them during appointments. Through the use of the AI tool, Dr. Kusters can now engage more closely with her patients without compromising the quality of documentation.
In a meticulous testing phase, actors posed as patients, attempting to trick the technology with various challenges such as discussing unrelated topics or using different accents. Despite these challenges, Tortus accurately captured the medical information shared during the conversations and produced clear clinical letters. Doctors at GOSH have reported increased efficiency in their clinics, reduced administrative burden, and an enhanced experience for both themselves and their patients.
Prior to commencing the trial, GOSH conducted thorough safety checks to ensure the technology’s security. All data generated during consultations is promptly deleted after document creation, with no long-term storage. Anna Peck and her daughter Bea, participants in the trial at GOSH, attested to the positive impact of the AI assistant during their consultation. They appreciated the uninterrupted focus from their clinicians, noting a marked difference in their experience at the hospital.
NHS England director Martin Machray commended the use of ambient voice technology as a means to support clinicians and enhance patient care. He highlighted the ongoing digital transformation within the NHS, emphasising the importance of leveraging innovations to provide the best possible healthcare services. Tortus, the AI assistant, emphasised its commitment to secure medical documentation production without compromising data privacy.
Product manager at Tortus, Hafsa Ahmedi, underscored the company’s dedication to alleviating doctors’ burnout and administrative burdens. The long-term vision is to provide AI support for various non-clinical tasks, enabling clinicians to focus on patient care. The technology is designed to support clinicians without altering their role or making assumptions, ensuring that the doctor-patient dynamic remains central to healthcare interactions.