Nurses Team Up with AI to Crack the Quirky Doric Dialect Code!

In Aberdeenshire, nurses are working with a new artificial intelligence system to help it understand the Doric dialect, which is spoken in the north-east of Scotland. This project is happening at Inverurie Hospital, where the technology, called Corti, listens to conversations between nurses, patients, and their families. After listening, Corti tries to create clear and organized notes about what was discussed. The nurses then check these notes and make any changes needed to make sure they are correct.

Katie Anderson, the senior charge nurse at Inverurie Hospital, explained that Doric can sometimes confuse the system, especially when someone speaks with a strong accent. She said that one staff member who spoke very strong Doric made it difficult for the technology to understand, but the system is improving every day. The nurses have found it funny at times when the computer does not pick up the Doric accent correctly, but they are also pleased because the technology helps them spend less time on paperwork and more time with their patients. Katie said that before using Corti, it would take her about 20 minutes to write up patient notes, but now it only takes about seven minutes.

The nurses can report any problems with the system, such as when it does not understand certain words or phrases, to the team that created Corti. This helps the technology learn and get better at understanding the local dialect. The project is being run by NHS Grampian's Innovation Hub with support from the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership. It is the first time Corti is being tested in Scotland, although it has been used in other parts of the UK. After three months, the hospital will decide if the technology is helpful and if it should be used more widely. One patient, Allan Rennie, said that having his appointment notes written by the computer was easy. He believes that if the technology helps both patients and staff, it is a good thing for everyone. The nurses and patients hope that this new system will make hospital visits better and more efficient.