AI scribes and speech-to-text. Cutting clicks and saving time.

Ray Delany
Sep 2
3 min read

When documentation gets in the way of care

Ask any clinician what's eating into their day, and you'll likely get the same answer: admin. Clinical notes. Letters. Repeat forms. Reporting. And unfortunately, the admin often continues at home, after hours.

One estimate suggests doctors spend up to 40% of their time documenting care. That's not time spent with patients, or taking a breath between appointments.

But that's starting to change.

AI scribes and voice-to-text tools are becoming trusted digital assistants, quietly reducing the load, cutting back on typing, and giving clinicians precious minutes back in their day.

What are AI scribes and speech-to-text tools?

Let's start with the basics:

AI scribes are tools that listen to conversations between clinicians and patients, then generate accurate draft notes for review.
Speech-to-text tools convert dictated notes or letters into text in real time, structured to fit clinical records.

These tools don't make decisions or offer clinical advice; they help capture what's already happening.

In Aotearoa, solutions like Heidi and Dragon Medical are already being used by GPs, specialists, and hospital teams. They're designed to integrate with Practice Management Systems (PMS) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs), so notes go where they need to without extra copy and paste work.

Less typing. More talking.

When used well, these documentation tools can help to ease some of healthcare's biggest admin frustrations.

Here's what they help with:

Faster note writing: Clinicians can finish notes closer to the point of care, sometimes even during the consultation.
Better accuracy: Dictating directly often results in more complete and detailed documentation than typing from memory later.
Improved continuity: More consistent notes help when care is shared between multiple GPs or specialists.
Reduced after-hours admin: When notes are done during the day, evenings are freed up.
Lower burnout: Less admin pressure can reduce fatigue and improve job satisfaction.

Vendor studies suggest tools like Dragon Medical can reduce documentation time by up to 45%, with some radiologists reporting 1-2 hours saved per day on reports and clinical letters.

What New Zealand clinics are doing right now

There are plenty of local examples of these benefits being achieved right here and now, in many different clinical settings. Evidence in primary care is more anecdotal, but that is showing that clinicians are finding ways to achieve these benefits by careful adoption of the right tools and processes.

It's also true that there are some stories of clinicians moving away from these tools after trying them, showing that it isn't as simple as it might look at first.

What to consider before you dive in

AI scribes aren't plug-and-play. Here are some key things to check before trialling a tool:

Accuracy: Does it handle New Zealand English and clinical terms reliably?
Integration: Will it work with your existing PMS or hospital systems?
Privacy & Security: Is it compliant with privacy and consent regulations?
Support: Is local support available if something goes wrong?
Training & Testing: Can your team try it out and give feedback before wider rollout?

The big picture: tech that listens, so you can too

This isn't about AI hype. It's about freeing clinicians to do more of what they're trained to do—care for people.

AI documentation tools won't suit everyone. But if your practice or department is feeling the admin pinch, they're well worth a look.

Even saving just 15 minutes a day per clinician can add up to real change - for your team and your patients.

Ready to learn more?

There's a heap of practical information in our free downloadable guide: "AI in Healthcare - A Practical Guide to AI Adoption for Health Leaders in New Zealand"

Inside, you'll find:

Local examples of a range of AI tools in action
Lessons from early adopters
A checklist to help you evaluate your readiness

Get the eBook now and explore what's possible for AI in healthcare.

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Drop us a line

We're keeping a close eye on AI adoption, but it's not always easy to cut through the noise of hype and sales spin. We'd love to hear from you about your experience. Drop us a line, or even better, schedule a chat with me.