Tech giant Microsoft has today launched an ambient voice technology (AVT) tool in the UK, called Dragon Copilot.
The tool can capture clinical conversations, draft documentation and automate follow-up tasks. It aims to ease the admin pressure for healthcare professionals and to improve the quality of clinician-patient interactions.
The technology combines the voice dictation of speech-recognition software Dragon Medical One with the ambient listening capabilities of AI-powered tool Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Copilot, according to Microsoft.
It has been certified by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a Class 1 medical device, and complies with the AVT guidelines set out by NHS England, it added.
This includes holding a Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) certificate, DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment), ISO/IED 27001 (Azure), and NHS DCB 129 (clinical safety).
Prior to launching, the tool was piloted in the UK and Ireland via a private preview programme with seven healthcare organisations and 200 clinicians over 10,000 consultations.
Microsoft said it was ‘too early’ to report the results of this preview, but that feedback had been positive.
Dr. Peter‑Marc Fortune, paediatric intensive care physician and chief medical information officer at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which has helped test the technology, said consultations feel more ‘face to face… like would have happened in the GP surgery 20 years ago, before everybody had PCs on their desk. The most important thing is to develop a relationship with a patient’.
Dr. Henry Morriss, emergency physician and director of clinical informatics at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, added: ‘My interactions with the patient are probably more elaborate.
‘I’ve got a chance to go into the information more, knowing I don’t have to remember it all to type it up.’
A spokesperson for Microsoft said: ‘Many UK healthcare organisations already rely on Dragon Medical One and we’re working closely with our partners to ensure Dragon Copilot is accessible through trusted frameworks, giving NHS Trusts flexible procurement options.
‘The solution is designed to integrate easily with any EPR, making it simple to adopt and scale across the health system.’
A letter issued earlier this year by NHS England further developed its guidance on the use of AVT and stated that ‘all NHS organisations must ensure that any AVT solutions being used meets the specified NHS standards’.
The 10 year plan outlined the ambition to expand the use of AI in healthcare, with one of its ‘five big bets’ that AI will drive productivity and patient power.
