O2078: Parent Perceptions of Virtual Scribe and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribe Use in Pediatric Medical Visits

Background: Virtual scribes assist physicians with documentation in the electronic medical record (EMR) and are associated with decreased EMR time and improved physician well-being. A gap exists in our understanding of parent perspectives on use of technology-based medical scribe approaches at pediatric medical visits. This study explored parent perceptions of virtual scribe use in past pediatric medical visits and views of potential artificial intelligence (AI) scribe use.

Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with parents of children ages 0-17 who have pediatrician primary care providers (PCPs) with virtual scribes at a Midwestern clinic system. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit across insurance types, including at least 33% of participants on Medicaid, and to ensure even participant distribution across 11 PCPs. Participants were asked to reflect on perceptions of pediatric visits where the pediatrician worked with a virtual scribe. Participants were also asked about their perceptions of potential AI scribe use. Interviews were conducted by 3 trained interviewers, recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was conducted using Dedoose software.

Results: Interviews were completed by 33 participants, including 76% females (Table 1) with mean age 40.30 (SD = 11.33). Two themes emerged regarding virtual scribes. First was Importance of Connection with the Provider. Most participants described how virtual scribe use enhanced this connection and increased focus on the patient, but some noted concerns. In the second theme, Noticeability of the Scribe, participants described low levels of awareness of the virtual scribe and intersections with their comfort. Two themes emerged regarding AI scribes. First was Valuing Human Information Processing, in which many participants described some accuracy and privacy concerns with AI for which they would place greater trust in a human. The second theme was AI as a Reliable Workforce, which involved discussions of decreased cost, bias, and possibility of absence. Representative quotes are shown in Table 2.

Conclusion: Parents often described enhanced pediatrician connection and focus on the patient at visits with virtual scribe presence. Regarding AI scribes, it would be helpful to evaluate parents’ experiences, such as with accuracy and privacy issues, to guide best practices.