Younger patients are worried the scribes aren’t accurate enough, while older patients have more questions about privacy and data security.
Australian dermatology patients are comfortable with the use of AI scribes in clinics, but still have concerns about accuracy, privacy, and data security.
That’s according to a new cross-sectional survey conducted in a Melbourne-based private dermatology clinic during the second half of 2025, the findings of which were published in the Australasian Journal of Dermatology.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess patient perceptions and attitudes regarding AI scribe use in the dermatology setting. Our survey demonstrated high acceptability of AI scribe use, despite limited prior exposure of respondents to the technology,” the researchers wrote.
“Despite high acceptability, there was still substantial concern, with more than half of respondents expressing concern about AI scribe use.”
The survey was completed by 263 patients with a mean age of 35.2 years. Almost two-thirds of respondents were female (65.8%).
Around one in 10 people had previously been treated at a medical practice that used an AI scribe (11.4%), and nearly all participants agreed or strongly agreed that they were confident using technology (e.g., a mobile phone or a computer) in their everyday life.
Over 80% of respondents indicated they would feel comfortable if an AI scribe was used during their consultation for clinical documentation purposes (41.8% strongly agree, 40.3% agree), although over half of the respondents expressed concerns about its use.
Privacy/data security (62.7%) and inaccurate documentation (40.7%) were the most common concerns among participants.
“Similar to prior studies, privacy and data security emerged as the most common concerns, followed by apprehension about documentation inaccuracies and potential impacts on interpersonal communication. This highlights expectations for transparency, data protection, and clinician accountability when implementing AI scribes” the researchers wrote.
Older patients were increasingly concerned about privacy and data security when considering the potential for AI scribe use during their consultations (odds ratio and 95% confidence interval 1.03 [1.01-1.04] for each one-year increase in age), while younger patients were more concerned about the AI scribes leading to inaccurate documentation (0.98, 0.97-0.99 for each one-year increase in age).
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“This may reflect generational differences in expectations of digital accuracy, familiarity with technology, and perceptions of data privacy. These findings echo the nuances in patient acceptability that have been identified in the literature,” said the researchers.
Male respondents were less likely to report concerns about AI scribe use reducing the personal connection they felt with their doctor than females (0.51, 0.28-0.95). Previous experience with AI scribes and self-reported technological confidence were not associated with patient concerns regarding AI scribe use in dermatological consultations.
A key limitation of the study was the fact that it only assessed the hypothetical use of AI scribes instead of real-world experiences, as respondent’s attitudes towards the technology could have changed after seeing it in action.
“Furthermore, responses were based on a general understanding of the term ‘AI scribe’ rather than a standardised implementation scenario,” the researchers noted.
The researchers concluded that using a tailored, patient-centred approach to consent and communication during the implementation of AI scribe use during consultations.
“In deciding whether to implement AI scribes into their own practice, dermatologists should consider several factors, including their patient demographics, current clinical workflow, and local guidelines and laws surrounding the use of AI in practice,” they wrote.
“Importantly, a patient-centred approach is necessary for successful implementation. This approach may include transparency regarding data security processes, clinical oversight of documentation, and how the addition of an AI scribe may impact the clinician–patient interaction in a dermatology consultation.”
