Perceptions and acceptance of healthcare providers towards the digital recording of clinical consultations: A mixed-methods systematic review

Objectives: While innovations such as smartphones and dedicated applications enable patients to record their clinical consultations, concerns about legal implications and privacy continue to influence healthcare providers' willingness to adopt these practices. This systematic review examines healthcare providers' perspectives on the digital recording of clinical consultations, amid ongoing concerns about the legal, privacy, organisational, and workflow implications of such recordings. Methods: We followed the PRISMA guidelines and included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. Eligible studies were identified through database searches (PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, Scopus), backwards reference mining, and expert consultations. Qualitative data were synthesised using the best-fit framework, and quantitative data were compiled and reported descriptively without meta-analysis due to study heterogeneity. Results: Of 6633 records retrieved, 4307 were screened, and 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. The thematic synthesis revealed five key themes: (1) provider attitudes toward consultation recording, (2) impact on patient care, (3) workflow and resource concerns, (4) legal and policy considerations, and (5) implementation strategies. Acceptance levels for consultation recordings among providers ranged from 18.7% to 95.4% (n = 8). Higher acceptance was associated with confidence in the perceived benefits of recordings for communication and patient care, whereas legal, organisational, and workflow concerns often drove resistance. Conclusions: Healthcare providers are divided and hold mixed attitudes regarding the acceptance of consultation recordings. Acceptance appears to be influenced by contextual, professional, and organisational considerations, whereas scepticism is frequently associated with legal uncertainty and workflow concerns. Consideration of these factors is important when evaluating the integration of digital consultation recording into routine clinical practice. Further research is needed to explore provider perspectives in diverse healthcare settings. Practice implications: These findings may inform institutional policy development and guide organisational and policy efforts to integrate consultation recording into clinical practice, taking into account providers’ concerns and organisational readiness.