AI scribes and patient consent in Australia
Yes, you need consent to record appointments. Here is why, what to say, and how to document it without slowing down your day.
Applies to: Australian practices
To use an AI scribe in an Australian dental practice, you need the patient’s consent before recording the appointment. Consent can be verbal, it takes one sentence to ask, and it should be noted in the record. Most patients say yes once they understand the recording improves their notes and is not kept.
Why is consent required?
- Recording a private conversation without consent can breach state surveillance devices legislation.
- The appointment audio is health information, so the Privacy Act requires consent to collect it, and patients must be told how it will be used.
- AHPRA’s guidance on AI in healthcare expects practitioners to be transparent with patients about the tools involved in their care. Indemnity providers such as Avant say the same thing plainly: ask first, and document it.
What do I actually say?
Keep it short and honest. Wording you can borrow:
If the patient asks questions, the honest answers are usually reassuring: the recording exists to make their record more accurate, it is deleted after the note is drafted, and the dentist still reads and signs everything. If they decline, take notes the way you always have; consent must be freely given, and care never depends on it.
How do I document consent?
- Ask before you start recording, at the first appointment where you use the scribe.
- Note the consent in the clinical record. One line is enough.
- Mention the tool in your practice privacy policy, and put a line in your new-patient forms so consent is captured in writing over time.
- Ask again if something material changes, like a new patient in the room or a new use of the recording.
What should the scribe itself do to make consent easy?
The easiest consent conversation is one where the honest answers are good news. That is a software design question as much as a legal one. With Chairscribe: audio is processed in real time and deleted immediately, nothing is used to train AI models, data stays in Australia, and every note is reviewed and signed by you. Those are the exact facts your one-sentence ask relies on. Before choosing any scribe, run the checklist in is AI dental note software secure so you can say them truthfully too.
Common questions
Does consent have to be written?
No. Verbal consent, noted in the record, is the accepted standard for recording an appointment. Written consent via your intake forms is a nice belt-and-braces addition, not a requirement.
What about children and carers?
Ask the parent or guardian, the same way you do for treatment consent. Where an interpreter or carer is present, they are part of the conversation being recorded, so let them know too.
Do I need to ask every single visit?
Practices commonly obtain consent once, record it, and rely on it for ongoing care, refreshing it when something changes. Your indemnity provider’s guidance is the one to follow here.
Consent sorted, the rest is easy. Start scribing and let your next appointment draft its own note, free for 14 days.