{"id":5148,"date":"2026-10-29T15:11:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/?p=5148"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:11:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:11:01","slug":"explain-to-the-patient-documentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/guides\/explicar-ia-documentacion-paciente\/","title":{"rendered":"How to explain to the patient that they will use AI to document the consultation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The patient sees a phone on the desk or hears that an assistant will be used. Before starting, they need to understand what that tool will do, what it will be used for, and what options they have. A brief and concrete explanation allows the conversation to continue without turning the start of the consultation into a presentation of technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best explanation starts with the task: helping to prepare the note while you are busy attending to other things. Then it clarifies how the information is captured and how the result is reviewed. There is no need to explain language models or promise that the tool will never make a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px;line-height:1.3\">Start with what is going to happen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a flow that records the conversation and allows offering an alternative without recording, you can adapt this phrase: \u00abI use an assistant that records our conversation to help me prepare the note. This way I can pay more attention to what they are telling me. Then I review the text. If you prefer not to use it, we can document it in another way\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is an example of communication, not a consent form. Tailor each sentence to the actual functionality of your tool and the procedure for your consultation. The requirements for information, authorization, and registration depend on the country, institution, and type of care; the conversation should accompany that procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px;line-height:1.3\">Answer the question that they are really asking you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00abIs it recording me?\u00bb requires a direct answer about the audio capture. \u00abWho will see this?\u00bb requires an explanation of the actual access. \u00abWill it be kept for a long time?\u00bb requires knowing the retention policy. Don\u2019t answer all three with a generic phrase like \u201cit\u2019s a secure platform.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before offering the flow, locate the provider\u2019s responses regarding recording, retention, access, and use of the information. If a condition depends on the contract or a configuration, confirm which one applies in your query. A precise response is usually more reassuring than an absolute guarantee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the case of Itaca, the reference for these questions is their <a href=\"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/privacy\/\">current privacy policy<\/a>. Avoid extrapolating what another provider claims or what a personal-use tool allows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px;line-height:1.3\">Clarify who writes, who revises, and who decides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The patient does not need to know all the technical details. What they do need to know is that the assistant helps them prepare the documentation and that you continue to attend to and review the patient. Say \u00abyou help me prepare the note\u00bb when that is the actual purpose, rather than presenting the tool as a second doctor participating in the consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also advisable to distinguish between recording for documentation and other uses of AI. If you are simply preparing a note, do not add explanations about automatic diagnosis, research, or functions that you will not use at that meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px;line-height:1.3\">Agree on what to do if someone prefers not to participate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The alternative must be feasible: take notes in the usual way or use another authorized workflow. If the patient requests stopping the capture, know how to do it before starting. Explain any differences between stopping it and deleting already stored information; they are different actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When an attendant intervenes, include their participation in the applicable procedure. On a video call, identify the people present and explain when the recording begins. Do not assume that connecting to a call means accepting any subsequent use of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:24px;line-height:1.3\">Keep the explanation consistent and natural<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prepare a brief version for the reception and another for you. They should describe the same process. If the staff promises that \u201cnothing is kept\u201d and the professional explains that there will be a recording, the contradiction creates a doubt that was avoidable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Test the explanation with someone outside the team. Ask them to tell you what they think will happen. If they understand that the AI will help you, change the sentence. The goal is for the patient to understand the documentation help and be able to express their preference without feeling pressured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/es\/news-room\/18-01-2024-who-releases-ai-ethics-and-governance-guidance-for-large-multi-modal-models\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WHO guidance on large multimodal models in health<\/a> It stands out for its transparency and participation in the deployment of these technologies. Bringing that principle to the consultation starts with an understandable explanation. You can learn about the specific flow in <a href=\"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/clinical-notes-ai\/\">clinical notes with AI<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A clear conversation to explain how they will use AI when documenting, answering questions, and offering an alternative without complicating the query.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","slim_seo":{"title":"How to explain to the patient the use of AI in the consultation","description":"A clear conversation to explain how they will use AI when documenting, answering questions, and offering an alternative without complicating the query."},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"nfd_image_url":"","nfd_onboarding_generated":"","_slim_seo_primary_term_category":15,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":9,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[17,9],"class_list":["post-5148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-ia","tag-patient-visits"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/itaca.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/itaca-editorial-explicar-ia-paciente.webp?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5148"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5401,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5148\/revisions\/5401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itaca.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}