Heidi Health’s AI scribe to be trialled in New Zealand public sector

Heidi Health's AI medical scribe platform has been officially endorsed for pilot use across Health New Zealand's public healthcare services following a comprehensive review by the National Artificial Intelligence and Algorithm Expert Advisory Group (NAIAEAG).

This endorsement allows Heidi Health's technology, which facilitates almost two million weekly consultations globally, to be trialled within Health New Zealand's operations as part of efforts to address clinician administrative workload and improve patient care quality and access throughout the country.

Heidi Health's introduction to the public sector follows its performance in the private sector, including measurable efficiency gains during a previous pilot at Hawke's Bay District. The pilot demonstrated a reduction in average documentation time from around 17 minutes to just over four minutes per patient, with feedback indicating reduced clinician burnout and more substantial patient interaction. The tool is currently in use by Tamaki Health and ProCare, two of the largest primary healthcare providers in New Zealand.

Cultural responsiveness

Besides efficiency enhancements, Heidi Health has committed to culturally responsive healthcare in New Zealand. The platform offers transcription in te reo Māori and provides translated clinician and patient resources. This facet of service was made possible through a partnership with Hendrix Health, a local health technology implementation partner, which assists in adapting the technology to meet local practitioner and patient requirements.

"New Zealand is, always has been, and always will be, a critical market for us. As an ANZ-founded company, New Zealand is part of our DNA. We're proud to be further rolling out technology developed in this region to serve clinicians and patients nationwide. Our AI medical scribe is built for doctors, by doctors. That means safety, security and reliability are non-negotiables, not 'nice to haves'. "After gaining strong traction in the private sector, we're excited to now be piloted in New Zealand's public health system. Healthcare providers in New Zealand are facing many of the same issues that we're solving for their counterparts globally: an underfunded and overburdened workforce that is being asked to do more with less. They, and their patients, deserve better, and we believe AI is uniquely positioned to help streamline their administrative burden, improve the quality of clinician work and patient care."

Heidi Health's pilot approval follows completion of all required privacy impact assessments, cybersecurity checks, and NAIAEAG compliance reviews to ensure its suitability for use across the country's public health system.

Endorsement process

Yassin Omar, Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Heidi Health, outlined the significance of the milestone for the company and its healthcare partners. He said, "Today is a very exciting milestone for Heidi. Seeing Health New Zealand recognise Heidi's ability to positively impact clinician wellbeing and patient care is deeply gratifying. Health New Zealand's endorsement validates the meticulous work our team has put into building a solution that meets rigorous privacy and security standards. Our vision has always been to empower healthcare professionals with technology that not only enhances their efficiency but truly supports compassionate, patient-centred care. Today is an important milestone in that mission. To all public sector clinicians eager to streamline their administrative workflows and enhance patient care, we're here to help."

As a result of the endorsement, Heidi Health will now cooperate with Health New Zealand services that wish to trial the AI scribe technology, ensuring that its application aligns with national strategic goals and healthcare standards.

The company, founded in 2019 by a team of medical professionals and supported by global investors with a total funding of USD $26 million, adheres to international privacy and security standards, including those set by the NHS, HIPAA, GDPR, and Australian Privacy Principles. The platform has received SOC2 and ISO27001 certifications and does not store session recordings or share clinical data.

Heidi Health's deployment in New Zealand's public healthcare sector marks a step in the broader adoption of AI tools designed to reduce administrative tasks for clinicians and enable healthcare providers to spend more time with patients.