STAT+: Are AI scribes useful tools in medical education, or a crutch that imperils learning?

Medical schools are grappling with whether AI scribes, which automate clinical note-taking, hinder medical education by allowing students to bypass critical thinking. Yale School of Medicine's associate dean Jaideep Talwalkar emphasizes that the deliberate process of writing notes is essential for learning, as it forces students to engage deeply with patient cases.

Hospitals have been quick to adopt artificial intelligence tools for automating note-taking during patient visits, saying they help lower physician burnout and increase revenues. Medical schools, though, are facing a vexing quandary over AI scribes. As much as educators want future physicians to be well-versed in the technology, they worry that letting students off-load the struggle of thinking through differential diagnoses to AI could do irreparable harm during the formative years of their medical training. “The process of deliberately crafting the note forces us to use our brains to really wrestle with what’s happening,” said Jaideep Talwalkar, associate dean of educational technology and innovation at Yale School of Medicine. “There’s an importance in doing that with great repetition.” This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in /login/ View All Plans https://www.statnews.com/stat-plus/