AustraliaHealthcare and life sciences2023South Metropolitan Health Service
ChatGPT-assisted clinical documentation
South Metropolitan Health Service stopped ChatGPT use involving patient information after a doctor generated a discharge summary
Problem
The Perth health service wanted to make administrative work more efficient. A doctor used an AI chatbot to generate a patient discharge summary.
Approach
On 8 May 2023, chief executive Paul Forden emailed staff ordering an immediate stop to AI use involving patient information or potentially sensitive health service information. He said patient confidentiality could not be assured and the security risks were not fully understood. The service subsequently clarified that the incident involved one doctor and that the input contained no identifiable patient information, with no grounds to believe confidentiality had been breached. Forden said the restriction concerned unapproved use and that other approved AI projects continued.
Results
Takeaway
A clinician used a public chatbot before the service had approved its handling of clinical information. The service restricted that workflow while continuing separate AI projects under organizational oversight.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Business function
- Production and qualityInternal work and knowledge management
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Generative AI
- Adoption
- Off-the-shelf tool or platform
- Evidence
- Press reporting
Sources
Source summaries
The publication obtained the 8 May directive and interviewed chief executive Paul Forden. He said one doctor had generated a discharge summary without entering identifiable patient information. He described the restriction as precautionary and said other AI projects continued.
ABC obtained the email ordering staff to stop AI use involving patient or sensitive service information. Its report included the service's clarification that one doctor had used the tool for a discharge summary and that no patient confidentiality breach had occurred.
Full details are in the original sources.
