2024-11-23 13:30:00
The founder of Doctolib, Stanislas Niox-Château, has decided to integrate artificial intelligence into his solutions for healthcare professionals and patients. Recently, the start-up launched an innovative consultation assistant based on generative AI. This technology aims to optimize doctors’ time by automating note-taking. This time saving allows these practitioners to concentrate more on interaction with their patients and clinical examination.
The main characteristics
The consultation assistant is activated with one click and uses the computer microphone to listen and analyze the conversation with the patient. It transcribes the exchanges in real time without recording or storing this data in audio form.
For now, this AI-based consultation assistant is only available to general practitioners and pediatricians who use Doctolib. It will be deployed for other specialist doctors by the end of 2024 and completely in 2025. The platform offers the possibility of trying this tool for free for one month and then charges for this service at the price of €79 per month.
Technology that reduces the administrative burden on healthcare professionals
The main feature of this AI consultation assistant is the automation of note-taking during medical consultations. Healthcare professionals spend a large part of their working time on administrative tasks. According to a study carried out by the doctor’s mutual in 2018, general practitioners declare that out of 50 hours of weekly work, almost 7 hours per week of their time is devoted to administrative tasks. These administrative tasks include managing patient medical records, billing for consultations, managing the practice (planning appointments and work schedules, purchasing medical supplies, etc.)
These administrative tasks weigh heavily on the daily lives of these practitioners. It takes time, organization, focus and energy to capture and interpret information. With the consultation assistant, they will have “ a halving of the time spent in front of their computer” and will feel “ less fatigue at the end of the day after consultations.”
This AI will streamline interactions and help healthcare professionals communicate better with their patients. Thus, there is automatic recording of various data such as histories, observations, diagnoses and prescriptions, thus providing caregivers with precise support and limiting forgetfulness. This structured data will make it possible to populate patient files and improve long-term health monitoring.
Healthcare professionals save time thanks to this assistant in a context where they face increased pressure, particularly due to the shortage of medical staff. Doctolib hopes that with this time saving it will help to reduce stress and burnout among these health practitioners.
An improvement in the quality of consultations
Early users report smoother communication with patients, who feel better listened to. The pressure of taking notes decreases, allowing for a more focused and qualitative caregiver-patient interaction. “We are rediscovering an interaction with the patient that we had somewhat lost due to computerizing the consultation. » declares Gilles, a cardiologist.
The question of health data and the ethical issue
However, the use of AI in the medical field raises security questions, particularly regarding the protection of health data. Doctolib ensures that the AI consultation assistant complies with European standards for data security. The data is hosted on servers in the European Union. They are encrypted, anonymized and certified Health Data Hosting (HDS).
Furthermore, Doctolib is committed to ensuring the transparency of its AI. The AI consultation assistant does not operate autonomously when it comes to medical decisions; it remains under the direct control of the practitioner, who has the capacity to validate or adjust the propositions and suggested findings.
This control approach aims to reassure patients, because AI allows optimization of the work of healthcare professionals, humans must ensure that they monitor their actions and use it wisely.
In addition, patients will always have a say in agreeing or refusing that the practitioner uses this technology. The latter is obliged to obtain the patient’s explicit consent before using it.
In summary
Doctolib and its AI assistant bring progress in medical care. It frees health professionals mentally from part of their administrative burden, helping not only to improve their well-being but also to strengthen the quality of care. The challenges surrounding data security and ethics are nevertheless key issues that Doctolib will need to continue to address to guarantee broad and peaceful adoption of this technology.
Sources :
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How does Doctolib ensure data privacy and security with its new AI consultation assistant?
**Interview with Stanislas Niox-Château, Founder of Doctolib**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Stanislas. Can you tell us what inspired you to integrate artificial intelligence into Doctolib’s services?
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** Thank you for having me! The decision to integrate AI stemmed from a clear need in the healthcare sector. We noticed that healthcare professionals were spending too much of their valuable time on administrative tasks instead of focusing on patient care. Our goal with the consultation assistant is to automate note-taking so that doctors can engage more meaningfully with their patients.
**Interviewer:** The consultation assistant sounds innovative. How does it work?
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** It’s quite straightforward. With just one click, the assistant uses the computer’s microphone to listen and transcribe the conversation between the doctor and patient in real time, without storing any audio data. This not only streamlines the process but also protects patient privacy.
**Interviewer:** Currently, it’s available to general practitioners and pediatricians only. What are your plans for expanding access?
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** Yes, right now it’s exclusive to general practitioners and pediatricians. However, we are planning to roll it out to other specialists by the end of 2024 and completely across our platform by 2025. We believe this will significantly benefit all types of medical professionals.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned that healthcare professionals can save time with this tool. Can you elaborate on the impact of that time savings?
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** Certainly. By automating administrative tasks like note-taking, we estimate that doctors can significantly reduce their screen time—up to half in some cases. This enables them to focus on patient interactions and reduces their end-of-day fatigue. They report having a more fulfilling experience during consultations, which is crucial in combating burnout, especially given the current shortage of medical staff.
**Interviewer:** That’s great to hear! But with AI integration comes concerns about data privacy. How does Doctolib address these issues?
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** We’re committed to ensuring the highest standards of data protection. Our AI consultation assistant complies with European data security standards, and all data is hosted on secure servers within the EU. We prioritize encryption and anonymization to protect patient information while maintaining transparency about our processes.
**Interviewer:** what feedback have you received from early users of the consultation assistant?
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Doctors have reported smoother interactions with their patients and feel that the pressure of taking notes has diminished, resulting in more focused care. One cardiologist noted that this technology has helped them rediscover a level of interaction that had diminished with past digital solutions, and that’s exactly what we aim to achieve.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Stanislas, for sharing your insights. It’s exciting to see how technology is enhancing patient care.
**Stanislas Niox-Château:** Thank you! We are excited about the future and look forward to helping healthcare professionals provide better care with less administrative burden.
