Australian clinicians use AI to cut paperwork load

Heidi has released a global survey showing Australian clinicians are using AI to manage documentation workloads. The report surveyed 772 Australian clinicians as part of a study spanning 25 countries.

The findings suggest paperwork is the main driver of AI use in Australian clinical practice. Some 92% of Australian clinicians identified documentation as their top administrative burden, while 86% said they use AI daily or several times a week.

More than half of Australian respondents, 57%, said AI is now a consistent part of their work. At the same time, 85% said they use the technology without formal guidance.

The data points to broad adoption across specialties and career stages, with heavier use among more experienced clinicians. Globally, 62% of clinicians with 21 or more years in practice said they use AI daily, compared with 51% of those with five years or less.

That suggests the longest-serving clinicians, after years of administrative burden, are among the most likely to incorporate AI into routine practice. Veteran practitioners were also among those most likely to recommend the technology to colleagues.

Trust Issues

Despite growing use, concerns remain over reliability and oversight. In Australia, 69% of clinicians cited hallucinations and accuracy risks as their main concern when using AI tools in practice.

Patient privacy followed at 58%, while 46% raised the risk of over-reliance and 41% pointed to erosion of clinical judgement. Even so, 56% said they were confident AI tools are safe and adequately regulated.

The survey also suggests patients are becoming more comfortable with AI in care settings. Some 77% of clinicians said their patients are open to AI being used in their care.

The findings come as policymakers in Australia develop a broader national framework for AI use. Heidi linked that work to the need for clearer rules on privacy, safety, governance and implementation in healthcare settings.

Yass Omar, Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Heidi, commented on the policy backdrop. "The establishment of the Office of AI is an important step towards a more coordinated approach to AI in Australia. Healthcare is one of the sectors where national coordination can have an immediate impact. Consistent guidance around privacy, clinical safety, governance and implementation can build on the strong work already underway across Australian health services, giving clinicians, patients and organisations greater confidence as adoption grows," Omar said.

Workforce Pressure

The report also links AI uptake to broader workforce strain in healthcare. Australia faces a projected shortage of 17,760 doctors by 2040, according to figures from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Against that backdrop, 74% of clinicians surveyed said AI is helping them sustain a longer, more manageable career. The report presents administrative relief as one of the clearest practical uses for the technology at a time when health systems are under pressure to retain staff.

The global survey covered 1,823 clinicians in total, including physicians and other healthcare professionals across a range of specialties. It examined administrative burden, AI adoption, trust, governance and workforce sustainability.

Dr Simon Kos, Global Chief Medical Officer at Heidi, said the strongest draw for clinicians remains time saved on routine paperwork. "Clinicians are embracing AI because it is helping address one of the most persistent pressures in healthcare: documentation. When a clinician finishes their last consultation of the day and their charting is already done, you have given them their evening back. With the right clinical oversight and support from health organisations, these tools can help clinicians spend more time with patients and sustain longer, more manageable careers in medicine," Kos said.

Heidi said its AI Care Partner is used in about 2.7 million patient interactions each week globally, and supports work in 110 languages across 190 countries.