AI healthcare tools and clinical scribes for Australian practices
Healthcare AI ranges from tools clinicians use every day to specialised systems inside hospitals and laboratories. Clinical scribes such as Heidi and Lyrebird, both founded in Melbourne, listen to consultations and draft notes, letters and referrals. Hospital platforms such as Viz.ai flag suspected time-critical conditions on scans, Paige supports digital pathology, and Merative provides clinical reference and imaging software.
AI scribes became routine in Australian general practice, allied health and specialist rooms during 2024 and 2025. Regulators followed: AHPRA published guidance on professional obligations when using AI, and the TGA clarified that scribes which only transcribe are not medical devices, while those that suggest diagnoses or treatments not stated by the clinician are, and announced compliance action after reviewing the market.
Users include GPs, psychologists, physiotherapists and other allied health practitioners, specialists, hospital clinicians and health service administrators. Practice owners care about time saved on notes and integration with practice software, while health services focus on clinical governance, procurement and regulatory status.
Last reviewed October 2026
AI Healthcare Tools compared
Heidi Health
Free plan + paidHealthcare
An AI medical scribe founded in Melbourne that listens to a consultation, through a device microphone or an uploaded recording, and drafts a structured clinical note. It also produces letters and documents from templates, supports dictation, and offers an evidence assistant for clinical questions.
Best for: Australian GPs wanting to cut after-hours documentation
Heidi Health review →Lyrebird Health
Free plan + paidHealthcare
An Australian AI scribe for GPs and specialists that turns consultation audio into clinical notes and also drafts referral letters, certificates and care plans. It integrates directly with common Australian clinical systems such as Best Practice and Genie, and processes and stores data onshore.
Best for: General practices running Best Practice or Genie
Lyrebird Health review →Viz.ai
EnterpriseHealthcare
A hospital care coordination platform that uses AI to analyse CT scans, ECGs and echocardiograms, flag suspected time-critical conditions such as large vessel occlusion stroke or pulmonary embolism, and alert the right specialists on their phones so treatment decisions happen faster.
Best for: Hospital networks running hub-and-spoke stroke services
Viz.ai review →Paige.ai
EnterpriseHealthcare
A digital pathology AI company, acquired by Tempus AI in 2025, that builds software to help pathologists detect and grade cancer on digitised slides. Its products include suites for prostate, breast, gastrointestinal and pan-cancer detection, pathology foundation models, and Paige Alba, an AI assistant for pathologists.
Best for: Pathology laboratories with established digital slide workflows
Paige.ai review →Merative
EnterpriseHealthcare
The healthcare data and technology company formed from IBM's former Watson Health assets. Its products include Micromedex drug and clinical reference, Merge medical imaging, Cúram social program management, MarketScan and Truven research data, and Zelta clinical trial data management, with AI features added across several of them.
Best for: Hospitals and health services needing clinical reference or imaging systems
Merative review →Deep Genomics
EnterpriseHealthcare
A biotechnology company that uses its BioFM biological foundation model platform to discover targets and design genetic medicines. It runs its own drug discovery programs and research partnerships rather than selling a software product that businesses can sign up to.
Best for: Pharmaceutical companies seeking genetic medicine discovery partners
Deep Genomics review →
How to choose
Regulatory status
Ask whether the product is a medical device and, if so, whether it is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for its intended purpose. Be wary of scribes that drift into diagnosis or treatment suggestions without TGA inclusion.
Practice software integration
Notes should flow into your clinical system, such as Best Practice, MedicalDirector, Cliniko or a hospital electronic record, without copy and paste. Check templates for your specialty and how letters and referrals are produced.
Australian hosting and retention
Confirm that recordings, transcripts and notes are stored in Australia, whether audio is deleted after the note is created, and how long data is retained. Ask for security certifications and a recent penetration test summary.
Consent workflow
Look for tools that make consent easy to obtain, record and revoke, with signage and patient information templates. AHPRA expects informed consent for AI scribes, and patients who decline should receive the same care.
Clinical accuracy and review
Test on your own consultations, including accents, interpreters, multiple speakers and specialist terms. Every note must be reviewed before it is finalised, so prefer tools that make reviewing quick and highlight uncertain sections.
What Australian businesses should check
Health information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988, and state health records laws in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT also apply. AHPRA's guidance says practitioners remain responsible for records produced with AI and should obtain informed consent for scribes. The TGA's August 2025 guidance treats scribes that interpret consultations and suggest diagnoses or treatments as medical devices requiring ARTG inclusion. Australian-founded scribes generally offer onshore hosting, while global platforms vary, so confirm the region in the contract. Public health services must also follow state digital health policies and procurement rules. Avoid general chatbots for patient-identifiable information.
Head-to-head comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Are AI scribes legal for Australian doctors?
Yes. AI scribes that transcribe and summarise are widely used, but practitioners must obtain informed patient consent, review every note and remain responsible for the record under AHPRA's guidance. Scribes that suggest diagnoses or treatments not stated by the clinician may be medical devices requiring TGA inclusion.
Heidi or Lyrebird: which AI scribe suits my practice?
Both are Melbourne-founded scribes used across Australian general practice and allied health. Compare integration with your practice software, specialty templates, how letters and referrals are generated, and pricing per clinician. Run each on a week of real consultations with patient consent and compare editing time.
Do patients have to consent to AI scribes?
AHPRA's guidance expects practitioners to obtain informed consent and record it, and state surveillance laws can also require consent to record conversations. Explain what is recorded, where it is stored and that the patient can decline without affecting their care. Keep a non-AI documentation pathway available.
Is patient data from AI scribes stored in Australia?
Many Australian scribes host data onshore, but practices should confirm this in writing for audio, transcripts and notes, and check whether any processing by underlying model providers happens overseas. Ask how long recordings are kept and whether they are deleted once the note is finalised.
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Not sure which tool fits?
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