Getting Patient Consent

As AI-based tools like Scrubs Co-Pilot become more prevalent in healthcare settings, it's critical for healthcare providers to obtain informed consent from patients before using such technologies during medical consultations. This supports transparency, compliance with legal requirements, and patient trust.

How Scrubs Co-Pilot Helps Providers Get Patient Consent

When healthcare providers click on "Start a New Consult" in Scrubs Co-Pilot, a pop-up reminder will appear asking whether the patient has consented to the recording of the consultation. The provider must indicate if consent was taken, and Scrubs Co-Pilot will record this information for compliance and record-keeping purposes.

Scrubs Co-Pilot Patient Consent Pop-up

Why Consent for Ambient AI Assistants is Important

Ambient AI assistants like Scrubs Co-Pilot record and interpret patient interactions with their healthcare providers to help streamline documentation and care. However, it's essential that patients are fully aware and agree to the use of such technology, as it involves the collection and processing of sensitive health information.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Using AI assistants during consultations falls under healthcare data privacy regulations such as HIPAA in the United States and PIPEDA, PHIPA in Canada. Healthcare Providers must ensure that patients understand how their data is collected, stored, and used. Clear consent is necessary to comply with legal obligations and maintain patient confidentiality.

Key Steps for Obtaining Consent

  • Explain the Technology: Provide a clear explanation of how Scrubs Co-Pilot or any other ambient assistant works and its role during the consultation.
  • Data Privacy and Security: Inform patients that their personal health information is encrypted and secure with Scrubs Co-Pilot. Emphasize that Scrubs Co-Pilot will not use their data to train the AI model without their explicit consent, and that your practice complies with both HIPAA (US) and PIPEDA, PHIPA (Canada).
  • Offer Opt-Out: Ensure that patients know they can opt out of the use of these tools at any time without affecting the quality of their care.
  • Document the Consent Process: Record the consent in the patient's medical record, ensuring that it’s clear they were informed about the use of AI tools and gave their approval.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at support@scrubscopilot.com.