A new framework, aimed to help healthcare practitioners in South Africa integrate AI safely and responsibly into practice, has been launched by Medical Protection.
The AI Safer Practice Framework is made up of two parts: INFORMED and RECORDS. INFORMED guides ethical decision-making using AI, while RECORDS documents AI-assisted decisions for accountability and clinical rationale. The framework has been structured around these acronyms to ensure it is practical and memorable.
Dr Sarah Townley, Underwriting Policy Lead at Medical Protection, said: “The adoption and integration of AI into clinical care will be transformational, introducing a wealth of opportunities, and of course some risks.
“In medicine, AI can be used to support diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring, leaving clinicians to deal with the complexity created by the blurring of boundaries when it comes to clinical responsibility, professional judgment, and legal liability.
“We are proud to introduce the AI Safer Practice Framework – designed to help healthcare practitioners navigate the challenges that might be presented when using AI in medical practice, and ensure their clinical records support them in case of any medico-legal challenge.”
Dr Ben White, Cases Team Lead at Medical Protection, added: “INFORMED – the first part of our framework – is a real-time, process-based guide for using AI in clinical care. It supports clinician oversight, promotes collaborative decision-making, and reduces potential automation bias, thereby avoiding over-reliance on algorithmic systems.
“The second part of the framework – RECORDS – is used for documenting AI-driven decisions. It captures clinical rationale, the role AI has played, and the clinician’s decision, crucial for transparency in audits, complaints, or legal reviews.
“At Medical Protection, our aim is to support healthcare practitioners in embracing AI, while helping them to understand and navigate the associated risks. We hope this framework provides a helpful and practical basis for integrating AI into medicine safely.”
The original principles for the framework were designed by Dr Raj Rattan, Dental Director at Dental Protection, the dental arm of Medical Protection Society.
The Medical Protection AI Safer Practice Framework can be accessed here:
Issued by MPS