Dental AI guide
AI Scribe Consent Checklist
A practical checklist before a dental practice turns on AI-supported scribing.
Every AI scribe touches patient audio, transcripts and clinical notes — often without the practice realising the full data path. Getting consent and vendor controls right before you switch it on protects your patients, your reputation and your Ahpra standing. This checklist walks you through the questions that matter before day one.
No patient data required. Use these guides for practice workflow education, not patient-specific advice.
An AI scribe is not just a note-taking feature. It is a patient-data workflow.
This checklist is not legal advice and is provided for general educational purposes only. It does not certify that an AI scribe is compliant. It is designed to identify consent, storage, privacy, security and workflow review items before a practice uses AI scribing.
Two privacy laws apply in NSW. As well as the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and its Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), dental practices in NSW are also bound by the NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act) and its Health Privacy Principles (HPPs). Read the considerations here against both. General information, not legal advice.
Quick decision: eleven questions before you switch on
Do not switch on an AI scribe until the practice can answer these questions:
- What patient data does it collect?
- Where is audio processed and stored?
- Where is the transcript processed and stored?
- Is generative AI used?
- Is patient data used to train models?
- Can patients opt out?
- Is informed consent obtained before use?
- Is consent recorded?
- Does the dentist review the note before it enters the patient record?
- Can the practice delete audio and transcripts?
- Is any processing or storage overseas, and has the practice assessed that separately from recording consent?
Checklist
1. Intended use
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the scribe used for? | |
| Does it record audio? | |
| Does it transcribe in real time? | |
| Does it generate clinical note drafts? | |
| Does it suggest diagnosis or treatment? | |
| Does it write back to the PMS? | |
| Does it create patient-facing summaries? |
2. Patient data involved
| Data type | Included? |
|---|---|
| Patient name | |
| Voice or audio | |
| Symptoms | |
| Medical history | |
| Dental history | |
| Medications | |
| Treatment options | |
| Financial or payment discussion | |
| Consent discussion | |
| Images or X-rays |
3. Consent process
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the patient told before the scribe is used? | |
| Is the explanation in plain English? | |
| Is the patient told what the tool does? | |
| Is the patient told what data may be processed? | |
| Is opt-out available? | |
| Is care unaffected if the patient opts out? | |
| Is consent recorded in the patient record? | |
| Is consent refreshed when needed? | |
| Is there a process for minors or guardians? |
Also in the full guide
- Sample consent scripts
- Consent record template
- Vendor review
- The note still has to be right (APP 10 — data quality)
- Overseas processing and APP 8 consideration
- Workflow review
- Red flags
- Minimum practice policy
- Owner sign-off template
Optional — get a customised version
Request the version adapted for your practice
The guide above is free to read and download. If you would like a version tailored to your practice workflow, leave your details below. Use practice-level details only. Do not include patient names, treatment details, clinical notes, X-rays, invoices or identifiable emails.