Booking a doctor’s appointment in Quebec? Expect to answer AI questions

Patients in Quebec looking to book a new doctor's appointment will be greeted with triage questions generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

Starting next month, if you call to book an appointment with your family doctor, you will be asked a series of triage questions, generated by new software powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

“The idea is that this is a mandatory tool to be placed in all GMFs [clinics], and the goal is to improve patient access by determining where patients should be seen,” said Dr. Michael Kalin, director of the Kildare Family Medicine Group.

The program is called Navig. Santé Québec is spending $20.6 million over four years to license and roll it out across the province.

As of April 1, medical receptionists will be required to consult the software by inputting the reason the patient wants an appointment. The software will then generate follow-up questions to try to determine whether the patient might be better served elsewhere in the health-care network.

“Between 13 and 18 per cent of doctor appointment requests are redirected to another health professional,” said Bertrand Bolduc, general manager of Vitr.ai, the company behind the Navig software.

“It’s a noble idea,” said Dr. Kalin, after several days of testing the software. “But what we have here is an AI tool that, in my opinion, is neither artificial nor intelligent.”

His receptionists report taking longer on each call since having to consult the tool and he does not always agree with the software’s recommendations.

“A patient called in with a headache the other day,” he said. “Through the course of questioning, the AI said you better go to the emergency room. I read the transcript. This patient doesn’t need to go to the emergency room.”

That kind of mistake could lead to less efficiency and a worse experience overall, Dr. Kalin said. He believes the software should not be mandatory, at least until the issues he has with the program have been resolved.

“Of course, patients can refuse the recommendation,” said Bolduc, who is the former head of the Quebec Order of Pharmacists. Doctors can also customize the software, so it produces recommendations that make sense for their specific clinics.

“Each GMF retains its clinical autonomy,” said Marianne Paquette, a spokesperson with Santé Québec. “It is the physicians and their teams who determine the recommendations and services offered, based on the needs of their patients.”

In recent years, different health-care professionals like pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, and psychologists, have been empowered to take on new responsibilities, easing pressure on doctors.

“Nobody can know what everybody is able to do,” said Bolduc. “This software, through a questionnaire — it takes a bit of time, obviously — can basically check all the details and criteria and can provide the patient with another type of appointment.”