PHC and Lower Mainland Health Information Management (HIM) are pleased to launch the AI SCRIBE BC Trial — Secure, Compliant, Responsible Implementation of Ambient AI for BC — from July to December 2025. This initiative reflects our commitment to reducing administrative burden, improving documentation quality, and giving medical staff more time to focus on what matters most: patient care.
Ambient AI scribe tools securely listen to patient visits and automatically generate draft clinical notes for your review, reducing typing time and improving documentation consistency.
Eligibility
All credentialed medical staff (physicians, nurse practitioners, midwives, and dentists) within PHSA, VCH, Fraser Health and Providence Health Care are eligible to participate. This trial is offered at no cost to medical staff or to the health authority.
About the AI Scribe Trial
· Duration: July 21 to Dec. 1, 2025
· Structure: Three cycles (six weeks each)
· Your opportunity: Try up to three different AI scribes (one per cycle)
· Goal: Provide free access to privacy- and security-compliant AI scribe tools for medical staff, and discounted pricing after the trial.
· Recommended setting: Outpatient, ambulatory care and Emergency Department.
Participants can choose from a list of six approved AI scribe tools. Each offers a free trial period, followed by optional discounted pricing if you wish to continue using the service. After cycle one, you may choose a different scribe for cycles two and three, each running for six weeks.
This means providers will only be able to test up to 3 of the 6 tools for free during the trial period. Licenses are limited for some tools so early sign-up is recommended.
Please note: continued usage of any of the tools following the conclusion of the six-week trial period will incur a cost, which is self-funded. These 6 tools – Heidi, Autochart.AI, Empathia, Tali, Mutuo (AutoScribe), Scribeberry – are the only scribe tools approved for usage.
How to participate
On Monday, July 21 at 12:01 a.m., the registration portal will go live. An email invitation will be sent that morning, announcing that the time-limited registration period for the first cycle is open. The registration link will be included.
· Registration closes: Monday, July 28 at 11:59 p.m.
· Participants who miss this deadline will need to wait until cycle two.
Using your health authority login email, you will be asked to:
· Provide your name, specialty, health authority and hospital site
· Select an AI scribe tool for each cycle as it becomes available
· Indicate whether you are open to being a voluntary clinical champion (collaborating with vendors to tailor templates for your specialty)
Once registered, vendor onboarding support will be provided to ensure a smooth start and effective use of the selected tool. Please note: Access will not begin until the vendor contacts you post-registration. Registrations will be processed in batches, so early sign-up is encouraged.
Resources The HIM team has created a SharePoint Program Hub with resources to support you throughout the trial. Please familiarize yourself with the Hub before registration opens next week and consider bookmarking it for easy reference. Access requires login with your health authority Microsoft account.
Resources include:
· PHSA-hosted webinar recording on all aspects of the trial
· AI Toolkit: Quick-start guides, cheat sheets, templates
· Support form: Submit questions, onboarding issues or request one-on-one help
· FAQs: Onboarding, troubleshooting and best practices
· Quick-start video
While participation is optional, we encourage all medical staff to take part, whether you are AI-curious or actively seeking ways to improve efficiency in your clinical workflow. Your feedback will directly shape how AI documentation support is integrated throughout British Columbia. Thank you for your commitment to innovation and patient-centred care..