Doctors urge faster use of AI as surgery waitlists soar in NZ

Doctors and technology experts are calling for New Zealand to speed up its use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, as swelling patient waitlists continue to test the country's medical system.

The number of New Zealanders waiting more than four months for elective procedures such as hip, knee and cataract surgeries has surged by over 2,500 percent in the last year, according to government figures. This unprecedented increase has added pressure on the public health system and prompted some specialists to seek technological solutions to ease their workload.

Adoption of AI tools

Wellington ophthalmologist Dr James Leong is among a small but growing group of doctors utilising AI-powered technology in daily practice. Dr Leong has adopted the Medow Health AI "co-pilot" system, specifically tailored to his specialty, to automate medical notes, reports, and referral letters.

Dr Leong explained that the use of AI does not replace the judgement or interaction of a human doctor but allows more efficient management of routine administrative tasks.

"I see between 24 and 30 patients a day as well as surgery days across both private practice and the public health care system. While I have been used to taking notes my entire career, it is not always what is best for the patient and the rest of the team, because I have my own form of shorthand that no one else can decipher," Dr Leong said.

He added that the AI system has freed up his attention for critical aspects of medical care.

"I understand the concerns that some have about the concept of artificial intelligence. But what this technology really does is free up my human intelligence for where it matters most: my clinical judgment, my focus on the patient in front of me, and complex decision-making. It handles the mechanics of taking notes, but it never replaces the essential human elements of care: empathy, experience, and nuance.

"I often summarise what I am seeing and discuss the condition, like I would if a medical student was in the room, so not only does the AI scribe pick it up but the patient likes it too because they get slightly more detailed information about their condition.

"I can see a patient and by the time they see my receptionist I can have their follow up letter in laymen's terms ready for them," Dr Leong said.

Industry perspective

Joel Freiberg, Co-Founder of Medow Health, said that much of the administrative work confronting specialists remains unnecessarily laborious, making AI an important support tool.

"We're not trying to replace doctors, we're trying to help them. Manually producing medical reports is a time-consuming and complex process that requires extensive paperwork and hours of labour-intensive work," Mr Freiberg said.

He noted that beyond saving time, AI can refocus clinical attention back onto patients, and increase overall productivity within the medical sector.

"Specialists have been stuck using outdated reporting systems that pull their attention away from the patient. AI not only saves time but also improves the quality of patient interaction.

"While this technology allows a single doctor to see two or three extra patients a day, scaled up across the health system, it has the potential to make a serious dent in specialist waitlists.

"When doctors get their time back, patients benefit," he said.

According to Medow Health, 250,000 specialist consultations across New Zealand and Australia in the last quarter have involved its AI technology. The company claims that its solution is the only AI tailored for each specialist discipline currently available in New Zealand.

Mr Freiberg reported improvements in clinicians' focus and work-life balance since the introduction of AI-powered assistant tools.

"With the AI assistant taking care of tedious administrative tasks, clinicians are reporting improved focus during consultations, additional time in their day and reduced work out of hours and weekends reducing burn-out," Mr Freiberg said.

Recent policy moves

New Zealand recently became the last OECD member to publish a national AI strategy, aiming to promote adoption of AI across different sectors of the economy. Health New Zealand has also approved the use of AI assistants such as scribes to support clinicians by reducing their paperwork burden in hospitals and clinics.

Medow Health has partnered with Incisive, a practice management system in New Zealand, to streamline workflow and accuracy for specialists using its platform.

Health Minister Simeon Brown has acknowledged the challenges facing New Zealand's health sector, referencing extensive wait times and the growing need for technological support to address the backlog.

Specialists and industry leaders continue to advocate for wider and more rapid adoption of AI across the health sector, citing benefits to efficiency, patient care, and workforce sustainability.