Free AI scribes now available for 10,000 Canadian primary care providers

With the official launch of Canada Health Infoway’s AI scribe program earlier this week, up to 10,000 eligible primary care providers across the country are now able to acquire one of nine pre-qualified AI scribes at no cost for a full year, a value of $1,200.Eligible clinicians, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses in remote communities and pediatricians providing longitudinal community-based care can begin the process by accessing the AI scribe program website and identifying the province or territory in which they serve.The process is slightly different for each jurisdiction. In some cases, primary care providers will choose from a subset of the nine pre-qualified vendor products. Enrollment is open to eligible clinicians in all jurisdictions, apart from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories who are continuing to assess the program and future deployment.Read: Ontario clinicians get help navigating AI scribes with new government-vetted vendor listClinicians will be able to review a description of the products available and select one that meets their needs. Vendors will then reach out to begin the process of supplying the products.Change management support will be provided by the vendors, but Infoway and most medical associations can also provide assistance. “Vendors are required to drive meaningful use of their products and the only way to drive meaningful use is through handholding and change management support,” said Abhi Kalra, Infoway’s executive vice-president of connected care.A robust evaluation process by Infoway and participating jurisdictions will measure the impact of the AI scribe program in terms of work-life balance and reduced administrative burden. Vendors will also collect data on the usage of the AI scribe products.In addition to covering the cost of the licence fee for a full year, the program frees clinicians from the time-consuming ordeal of shopping for a solution on their own. The robust pre-qualification process conducted by technical experts and clinicians from Infoway and partnering jurisdictions, ensures, for example, that all of the products selected comply with privacy and security requirements. Additionally, clinicians don’t have to worry about data from the AI scribes being stored outside Canada or being used by vendors or anyone else to train AI models.“The AI Scribe Program is the first step in a broader effort to integrate similar technologies into Canada’s healthcare system,” claims Infoway. “The program introduces a maturity model that supports a structured framework for advancing interoperability, progressively enhancing AI scribes’ integration with digital health systems. It defines a clear vision for improving data quality and interoperability by aligning AI scribe adoption with pan-Canadian standards, ensuring these tools seamlessly connect within the broader health ecosystem.”The AI Scribe Program is an excellent example of what can be accomplished by pursuing a pan-Canadian procurement process, said Kalra. “Each jurisdiction didn’t have to spend an enormous amount of money running an RFP process. We all came together and ran one program. It’s an example of how to drive the cost down for everyone when resources are limited and we’re all motivated to bring down the cost of healthcare, so that’s something we really need to celebrate.”

Free AI scribes now available for 10,000 Canadian primary care providers

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