Kansas social-work advisers discuss AI and telehealth risks, consent and documentation

Advisory committee members spent substantial time on Aug. 12 discussing how artificial-intelligence tools and telehealth are being used in social work practice and what regulatory or guidance responses are appropriate.

Members described multiple workflows in current use: some platforms (named in the meeting) automatically generate notes and delete temporary transcripts, while others retain data for a period. Committee members raised HIPAA and security concerns about recorded sessions, questioned whether notes truly are erased, and said informed-consent language and client notification should be considered. "You're entering data about a client into a system...they're, at minimum, you have to inform people of that," one member said during the meeting.

Practitioners reported using AI for note-taking, summaries and educational tasks; school-based members described tools used for drafting individualized plans. Several suggested a professional-verification requirement—either platform features that require edits or a checkbox affirming a clinician has reviewed and approved AI-generated content—so that clinicians retain responsibility for clinical decisions and documentation. Committee members also discussed training and professional education on AI and telehealth as a necessary step, and asked staff to circulate a sample informed-consent form that had been shared at a recent ASWB conference.

No regulatory changes were proposed at the meeting; the committee recommended staff collect sample consent language and consider whether a professional verification standard should be recommended to the BSRB for future rulemaking or guidance.