An AI scribe records the conversation between clinician and patient, with consent. Speech recognition trained on clinical terms turns the audio into a transcript. A language model then shapes the transcript into a structured note in the clinician's own template. A SOAP note is the common case.
Most scribes go further. They suggest ICD-10 and CPT codes from the visit. They draft patient instructions in plain language, and referral or sick-note letters. Some summarise the last visit before the next one starts. The clinician reviews and signs. The tool drafts, it does not decide.
The serious ones are, and they say so plainly. Look for three things. A signed Business Associate Agreement, which makes the vendor legally responsible for the data it touches. Encryption in transit and at rest. And a clear statement on whether audio recordings are kept or deleted after the note is written.
SOC 2 Type 2 certification is a good sign that an outside auditor has checked the controls. Also ask where data is stored and whether patient information is used to train the vendor's models. The better vendors answer all of this on a public security page. If a vendor does not, treat that as an answer.
Individual scribe plans run from about $40 to $120 a month. The cheapest tier usually caps notes, and EHR integration sits on the dearest. Group plans for clinics are priced on request. Most offer a free trial of a week or so, with no card needed.
Watch for two things in the fine print. Whether the price is per clinician or per clinic. And what EHR integration means: included, an add-on, or a browser extension that pastes text rather than a true connection.