If a patient has mentioned using PatientScribe, or you've noticed them recording an appointment, here's what you need to know about how the app works and how we've designed it to respect your practice.
Research consistently shows that patients forget a significant portion of what's discussed during medical appointments — often within minutes of leaving. This can lead to confusion about diagnoses, missed follow-up steps, and difficulty explaining their care to family members.
PatientScribe was created as a memory aid, to help patients remember what was said at their appointment. It's a simple iOS app that records the consultation and turns it into plain-language notes, which patients can re-read, check with you, and share with family or carers who couldn't be present.
Patients can also choose to translate their notes into Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Greek, Vietnamese or Arabic, with the English original shown beneath each translated line, and have the notes read aloud by their iPhone's built-in voices when a suitable voice is available. Translations are automatic and may contain errors; the app tells patients to check anything important with their doctor, and that a qualified interpreter can help them talk with you. Translations are made in Australia, and neither the text sent nor the translation is kept on our servers.
We take privacy seriously — both yours and your patients'. Here's how we've built consent and data protection into the app:
Consent is required. Before each recording, patients must confirm they have permission to record. The app prompts them to obtain consent from all parties present.
Processed and stored in Australia. Audio is uploaded to our own servers on Amazon Web Services in Sydney, where it is transcribed by our self-hosted transcription service. The transcript is then turned into notes by AI running through AWS Bedrock in Australia. Under our current configuration, consultation content is processed and stored in AWS regions in Australia; if that ever changes, we'll update our Privacy Policy first.
Data is deleted automatically. When the patient saves or discards a consultation, the copies on our servers are deleted. If that doesn't happen, server audio is automatically deleted after about 1 day, and the transcript and notes after about 7 days.
Notes and transcripts stay on the patient's device. The generated notes and transcript are stored locally on the patient's phone. They can delete them whenever they choose, but they're never uploaded or shared without their explicit action.
AI-generated notes are a memory aid, not medical advice, and they're not perfect. We want both clinicians and patients to understand the limitations:
Notes may contain errors. AI can misinterpret medical terminology, miss nuances, or occasionally get details wrong. We make this clear to patients within the app.
Not a replacement for clinical documentation. PatientScribe notes are a memory aid to help patients remember what was said — they're not a medical record and don't replace your clinical notes.
Patients are encouraged to clarify. We advise users to raise any discrepancies with their clinician. If a patient asks you about something in their notes that doesn't seem right, we appreciate you helping them understand what was actually discussed.
We built PatientScribe with input from clinicians, and we're always keen to hear from healthcare professionals. Whether you have concerns, suggestions, or just want to learn more, we'd love to hear from you.
support@patientscribe.com.au