An AI scribe privacy checklist
Before you use an AI scribe with patients, you need to know where their words go, who processes them and how long anything is kept. Vendors describe this in different ways, and marketing pages rarely give the whole picture. These questions work for any product and help you compare them fairly.
Audio and transcripts
- Where is the audio sent for transcription, and by which company?
- Is the audio stored at all? If so, where, for how long, and who can access it?
- Is the transcript kept after the note is written? For how long?
- Can I delete a visit, and does deletion reach every copy, including backups and providers?
Notes and history
- Where are finished notes stored: on the vendor's servers, in my EMR, or only on my device?
- Is there a retention setting I control, and what is the default?
- If my notes are only on my device, what happens if I lose it or clear the browser, and can I export them?
- What happens to my data when I cancel? Is it returned, deleted, or kept?
Sub-processors and agreements
- Which third parties process the data (transcription, language models, hosting), and is that list published?
- What does each sub-processor receive, and how long does it keep it?
- Is a data processing agreement available? Is a business associate agreement available if your setting needs one?
- In which regions is data processed, and does that matter under the rules that apply to you?
Ask for these answers in writing, and check them against the vendor's privacy policy and terms rather than a sales page.
Identifiers and training
- Are names and other identifiers removed before text reaches the AI model? How reliable is that, and does it cover photos and attachments?
- Is any of my patients' data used to train or improve models, the vendor's or anyone else's? Can I opt out?
- Do vendor staff ever read notes or listen to audio for quality checks?
Your side of the arrangement
Even with good answers, part of privacy stays with you. Check your employer's policy on AI tools and the data protection rules where you practise. Tell patients what the tool does and let them decline; the consent guide covers how. Keep identifiers out of typed text where you can, lock the device you use, and do not leave a signed-in session open on a shared computer.
How ClearPass answers these
ClearPass transcribes consultation audio and discards it; audio is never stored. Note content is processed to write the note and then discarded, not kept on ClearPass servers. Your history stays in your browser on that device, is not synced, can be exported, and can be set to delete itself after 7, 30 or 90 days. Common identifiers are removed from typed and transcribed text before it reaches the AI, as a best-effort safeguard; photos are not redacted automatically, so remove identifiers yourself. The privacy policy names each AI provider and what it receives.
ClearPass does not sign HIPAA business associate agreements today. If your setting requires one, that rules it out for now.
What ClearPass does not do
- It does not replace your judgement. Every note is an AI draft that you review and correct before it is used.
- It is not a medical device and does not make clinical decisions. It is a documentation aid.
- It does not connect to your EMR. The note is copy-ready text that pastes into any system.
Privacy
Clinical note content is not stored on ClearPass servers: it is processed to write the note, then discarded. Consultation audio is transcribed and discarded, never stored. Your note history stays in your browser, on your device, and you choose how long it is kept. Common identifiers are removed from typed and transcribed text before it reaches the AI; that is a best-effort safeguard, so leave names, ID numbers and file numbers out where you can. Processing goes through the AI providers named in our Privacy Policy, which sets out exactly what each one receives and how long it keeps it. ClearPass does not sign HIPAA business associate agreements today.
Questions
Is "we don't store audio" enough of an answer?
Not on its own. Ask about transcripts, notes, logs and every sub-processor as well, since data can persist in places other than the audio file.
How do I compare two vendors fairly?
Put the same questions to both, ask for written answers, and read each privacy policy and set of terms yourself. Where one vendor answers a question and the other stays vague, treat the vague answer as a gap until it is filled in writing.
Who should sign off on a scribe in a larger clinic?
Usually whoever handles data protection or information governance, alongside the clinical lead. Bring them the vendor's written answers to this checklist; it shortens the conversation.
What is a sub-processor?
A company the vendor uses to handle your data, such as a transcription service, a language model provider or a hosting company. Each one should be named and described in the privacy policy.
Does removing names make the data anonymous?
Not fully. Automatic removal catches common identifiers but can miss some, and clinical details can still point to a person. Treat it as a safeguard, not as proof of anonymity.
What does ClearPass cost?
The 7-day trial is free, needs no card and simply ends after 7 days, with no automatic charge. After that there is one plan: $78 a month or $858 a year, with every visit transcribed.
Try it on your next clinic day
The full product for 7 days, with no card and no automatic charge. Then $78 a month or $858 a year. Pricing details.
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