Event Details

Public health investigations for Diseases of Public Health Significance (DOPHS) require extensive documentation creating significant administrative burden for local public health investigators. This PHO Rounds describes the pilot study that explored whether ambient AI scribe technology could reduce this burden and improve workflow efficiency without compromising documentation quality. This pilot study was completed through a Public Health Ontario Locally Driven Collaborative Project (LDCP) grant.

This session will also provide an overview of the journey to using AI scribe for case and contact management in two public health units including: steps related to procurement, privacy review, simulation testing, implementation into practice, professional practice considerations, evaluation results and lessons learned. 

Intended audience:
Public health professionals with interest in the application of Artificial Intelligence in public health practice, MOHs/AMOHs, Health Policy professionals.

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

• Describe the use of AI scribe technology including the assessment of potential benefits and limitations for public health practice.
• Identify important considerations when reviewing and selecting AI scribe software for a local public health organization.
• Describe how an AI scribe can successfully be implemented into case and contact management workflows.

Natalie Riewe, RN, MN is the Vice President of the Clinical Services Department at Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. As a nursing leader she seeks to create opportunities to enhance professional public health practice and create efficiencies in workflow using technology. 

Michael Whyte, MPH is the Manager of Data and Analytics at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Public Health where they are exploring practical ways to modernize work and better support staff. WDG’s AI Scribe pilot is one step, and they’re excited to share insights.

Dr. Helen Chen, Ph.D. leads the Professional Practice Center in Health Systems, and the Master of Health Informatics and Analytics Program at the University of Waterloo.  Her research focuses on developing machine learning models and generative AI to improve access to real-world data and enhance decision-making in public health and healthcare systems. As a founding director and President of the Canadian Personalized Healthcare Innovation Network (CPHIN), Dr. Chen has been fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among academia, the healthcare industry, and public health agencies.

The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Public Health Ontario Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Other colleges, including the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario and the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, may accept RCPSC accredited events on a per-hour basis. Please contact your relevant college should you have any questions.

In order to receive written documentation for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, please check "Yes" beside the question "Do you require CME credits?" on the registration form.

For more information or for a record of registration for other Continuing Education purposes, please contact capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.