Many South African doctors and allied healthcare workers are turning to artificial intelligence to reduce administrative pressure.
Healthcare providers are using AI tools to record consultations, create clinical notes, prepare referral letters, support coding, and assist with prescriptions. These platforms use speech-to-text technology to capture consultations in real time.
Many of the tools are less than two years old. Yet they are already moving beyond basic transcription. Some now integrate clinical guidelines, research and workflow support.
Clinicians say the technology is not replacing medical judgement. Instead, it is helping them work faster and document more accurately. It is also allowing them to focus more closely on patients during consultations.
AI Healthcare Tools Help Reduce Surgical Backlogs
AI is also easing pressure on South Africa’s strained public health system.
Orthopaedic surgeon Michiel Ter Haar has used an AI-enabled platform to connect public-sector surgeons with private-sector colleagues who have spare theatre capacity.
The pilot links surgeons at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in Durban with a private hospital in Kloof. Waiting times for orthopaedic surgery at the public hospital can reach two-and-a-half to three years.
Senior clinicians say operating lists at the public facility are running about 40% below capacity.
Over 13 months, the initiative enabled 102 joint replacements at the private hospital. The model reduces professional fees and offers free theatre time.
Clinical leaders believe this could provide a useful model for easing pressure in the public sector. The National Department of Health has taken note. Discussions are now underway with several AI providers.
Heidi And Nora Lead Clinical AI Adoption
Several platforms are gaining traction among South African clinicians.
Heidi automates large parts of the clinical admin process. It structures consultations, retrieves relevant information and accesses multiple digital systems. It also supports all 12 official South African languages.
Founder Waleed Musa says about 15,000 South African doctors have signed up. Healthcare providers have used the system in about 1.5 million consultations.
Another fast-growing platform is Nora. Cape Town entrepreneurs James Gordon and Robert van Biljon developed it.
Nora began as a tool for turning lectures into study material. The team later moved into healthcare after seeing strong demand for clinical admin support.
It now works as an automated clinical scribe and workflow assistant. Its developers report monthly user growth of about 20%. Doctors using the platform can save up to three hours a day.
Doctors Say AI Restores Patient Connection
Cape Town neurosurgeon Dr David Roytowski works in both the public and private sectors. He describes AI as a “clinical buddy”.
He says it supports three key priorities in practice. These are being good, being fast and reducing medico-legal risk.
The technology helps ensure that clinicians ask the right questions. It also helps bring evidence into consultations and capture accurate notes during care.
Roytowski says he is no longer buried in a file. He can look at the patient, have a natural conversation and pick up on body language.
Administrative staff also benefit. Less time is spent typing notes. More time can be allocated to broader practice support.
Medical Schools Explore AI Training
Medical schools are beginning to respond to the shift.
The University of Cape Town’s medical school is exploring how AI could be included in training. This may include simulated patient examinations.
Heidi has also started offering professional licences to students and registrars.
Other fields may benefit too. Psychology and social work involve heavy documentation. AI could reduce this burden and improve workflow.
Developers say their platforms comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act. They also say they align with the Health Professions Council of South Africa guidance on oversight, transparency and accountability.
In a stretched healthcare system, early adoption suggests AI could do more than save time. It could reshape workflows, stretch scarce resources and help restore the human connection at the centre of medicine.
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