Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) - Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), we are introducing Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) to support our doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals during some patient appointments.

AVT is a secure digital tool that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to listen to the conversation during a consultation and create a draft set of clinical notes. Your clinician reviews these notes, makes any changes needed and decides what is added to your electronic patient record. AVT does not make decisions about your care and it does not replace your clinician.

The aim is simple – to give clinicians more time to focus on their patients and less time typing or writing notes. By reducing the administrative work involved in documenting appointments, AVT helps clinicians spend more time listening, talking and providing care.

The technology has already been successfully used in pilots across MFT and other NHS organisations across the country. As we introduce AVT more widely, we will do so gradually, working closely with our clinical teams to make sure it works safely, effectively and consistently across different services.

Protecting your information is a priority. AVT is used in line with NHS information governance and data protection requirements. The conversation is processed to create clinical notes, but the audio recording is not stored. Your clinician remains responsible for checking every note before it becomes part of your patient record.

Using AVT is your choice. Your clinician will explain if it is being used during your appointment, and you can ask questions or choose not to use it at any time. Your care will not be affected if you decide you do not want AVT to be used.

A full FAQ can be found below – these questions below explain more about how AVT works, how your information is protected and what you can expect if it is used during your appointment.

Please see below for answers to many of the questions people ask about AVT:

What does ``AVT`` mean?

AVT stands for Ambient Voice Technology.

What does ``AI`` mean?

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is technology that helps computers perform tasks that a person might do – like typing notes.

AVT uses artificial intelligence (AI) to write notes so that your doctor or nurse can spend more time listening and talking to you.

What does AVT do?

AVT is a computer tool that uses AI to write down what is said in your appointment. Once these notes are written, your clinician will review them, before adding them to your patient record.

Does it work by itself? What does my doctor or nurse do?

At the start of your appointment, your doctor or nurse will turn on AVT using their computer. They will also turn on a special microphone or phone, which turns your conversation into notes. Your doctor or nurse will then check that these notes are right before adding them to your patient record.

What are the good things about AVT?

AVT gives your doctor or nurse more time to focus on you instead of typing. In a pilot, patients said they felt more listened to and more involved in their care when AVT was used.

Will my care be different?

Your care will stay the same. What will be different is that your doctor or nurse will spend less time typing or looking at a screen and more time with you.

Remember – AVT does not replace your doctor or nurse. They always check the notes made by AVT to make sure they are correct. Your doctor or nurse still makes all the decisions about your care.

Does AVT decide anything about my care?

No. AVT cannot diagnose you, give medical advice or provide your care. It only listens and writes notes. Your care team makes all the medical decisions.

Is my information kept safe?

Yes. Your information is kept safe, following NHS information governance and data protection rules. Your conversation is not saved anywhere as a recording.

Will my appointment be shorter?

AVT is not there to make appointments shorter. But some appointments might finish quicker, because your doctor or nurse does not need to stop and write notes.

Who can see my notes?

Just like with notes typed in your appointment, only the people on your care team can see the notes that AVT makes.

Does AVT get things wrong? What happens then?

Sometimes AVT might mishear or get something wrong, like any AI or computer tool. That isyou’re your care team will always check the notes and correct any mistakes before adding them to your record.

Can AVT understand different accents?

AVT is built to understand many accents and ways of speaking. If your doctor or nurse thinks AVT might have trouble understanding you, they will not use it.

Does AVT work if more than one person is talking? What about family or interpreters?

Yes. AVT can tell who is speaking, even when several people are talking, like in a busy room.

What if a patient cannot speak, or does not use sound to communicate?

AVT listens to the appointment so it will not be used if patients cannot speak.

What if I don't want something private written down?

If you don’t want AVT to be used, simply tell your doctor or nurse. They can either turn AVT off or delete these particular private details from the notes for you.

Will my information be used to make AVT better?

If there is a mistake in your notes the doctor or nurse will correct it. If AVT makes a mistake it can be reported so that it doesn’t happen again.

We always follow NHS data protection and information governance rules.

Can I say no to using AVT in my appointment? What about part-way through?

Yes, you can say no at any point. Using AVT is your choice.

You can say no before your appointment starts or ask for it to be turned off at any time during your appointment. This will not change the care you receive.