Follow these tips to find the right tools – beyond scribes – to improve your practice and workflow
Dr. Usha Parthasarathi, a psychiatrist in Burlington, saw efficiencies in her practice after she began using AI scribes two years ago. But gradually implementing other tools has saved her even more hours of administrative work.
She says her clinic was one of the first specialist practices to use an AI inbox tool to help create patient charts. They also use AI to help manage patient communications and make PowerPoint presentations.
Dr. Parthasarathi says adopting these tools — procured through the help of OntarioMD — has led to benefits outside the clinic as well.
“I've been in practice for more than 22 years, and we recently went on vacation during March break,” says Dr. Parthasarathi. “For the very first time in my entire career, I felt calm and at peace because I didn't have to do any paperwork.”
Dr. Parthasarathi is not alone. Nearly 60 per cent of Canadian physicians say AI has decreased the time they spend on administration, according to 2025 survey results from the Canadian Medical Association.
“For the very first time in my entire career, I felt calm and at peace because I didn't have to do any paperwork.” — Dr. Usha Parthasarathi, a psychiatrist in Burlington
Beyond reducing paperwork, AI tools can support clinical decision-making and help physicians quickly find relevant information to care for patients.
“I just think there hasn’t been a more transformational change to my daily workflow that I can think of since we first introduced the EMR,” says Dr. Darren Larsen, an urgent care physician in Collingwood and a clinical teacher at the University of Toronto. “With my scribe I am listening better. Leaning in more. Thinking more. Diagnosing better. And I’m now leaving on time. I’m not charting at home at night anymore.”
AI has become a game-changer in many health-care settings, including hospitals. Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, director of the University of Toronto’s Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine, shares how an orthopedic surgeon created a chatbot to answer patients’ routine questions.
“He found that it decreased a lot of time on questions that didn't need to be answered by him. He spent time on more pressing questions and had more meaningful conversations,” says Dr. Mamdani, who has a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree.
“With my scribe I am listening better. Leaning in more. Thinking more. Diagnosing better. And I’m now leaving on time. I’m not charting at home at night anymore.” — Dr. Darren Larsen, urgent care physician and clinical teacher
If you want to implement AI tools in your practice but don’t know where to begin, here are five tips to get started.
Before buying any tools, Dr. Mamdani recommends identifying what you need help with. Is it writing notes or managing your patient schedule? Once you’ve pinpointed the issue, you can research which AI tools might help.
With Canada ranking among the least AI literate nations globally, according to a 2025 KPMG study, there’s still a gap in AI knowledge, including in health-care settings.
“Learn, learn, learn. Because with that knowledge, you're going to get a better understanding of where AI can and cannot help you,” says Dr. Mamdani.
But it’s also crucial to understand the legal risks with AI technology as well as your responsibilities for patient privacy. See our tip sheet on AI scribes or visit the OMD Practice Hub for a wide range of information resources.
After finding the right tools, reach out to the vendors and ask for a demonstration.
Dr. Parthasarathi asks for a trial before committing to ensure it’s the right solution.
“What I found is most of these AI tool companies have young people trying to do something exciting and they want to help you.”
If you are hesitant, Dr. Larsen suggests trying your tools with just five patients, to get a sense of its use. The benefit is seen that fast. If you’re unsure which tool to start with, Dr. Larsen says you can’t go wrong with an AI scribe.
“The time I save in a half-hour each day pays for that scribe for a month. There’s no economic reason not to do it.”
Lastly, observe and assess whether your tools are improving your workflow. But don’t get too frustrated if they’re not — using AI in your practice is a matter of trial and error.
“You're going to have to find that sweet spot of filtering out the stuff that doesn't work and really honing on the ones that do work,” says Dr. Mamdani.
OntarioMD’s mandate is to support physicians to use AI and other health technologies efficiently and effectively at no cost to physicians. Contact them at support@ontariomd.com for help or advice. A local OMD advisor will connect with you at a time that’s convenient for you.