An AI medical scribe for Tagalog and English consultations
Tagalog speakers switch to English constantly, often several times in one sentence, and medical words are usually the English ones. ClearPass transcribes Taglish as it is spoken, keeps the speakers apart, and writes the clinical note in English.
Taglish in the consultation room
Tagalog grammar readily takes English verbs and nouns. A patient may say 'nag-take ako ng paracetamol kagabi' (I took paracetamol last night) or 'na-check na po ang sugar ko'. Common Tagalog symptom words include ubo for cough, lagnat for fever, sipon for a runny nose, nahihilo for dizzy and masakit for painful. 'High blood' is widely used to mean hypertension, and 'mababa ang dugo' may be used loosely for low blood pressure or anaemia.
Loose terms are exactly where a note can go wrong. When the patient says 'high blood', confirm the history and the readings aloud so the note says what you found rather than the patient's shorthand.
Numbers are said in three ways
Tagalog speakers use Tagalog numbers, English numbers, and Spanish-derived numbers, often depending on context. Clock times and money are commonly Spanish-derived: alas-otso for eight o'clock, alas-dos for two. Counts may be Tagalog: isa, dalawa, tatlo. Readings and doses are frequently in English.
The numbers check marks any number in the note that never appears in the transcript. It does not confirm that a spoken number was heard correctly, so repeat important values in English as you confirm them: 'two tablets at eight in the morning'.
- Read blood pressure and glucose readings aloud from the patient's diary or device.
- Name each medicine once in full; brand names are a common source of errors.
- Say the duration of symptoms as a number of days or weeks, not only 'kahapon' or 'noong isang linggo'.
Politeness markers and family voices
Respect markers such as po and opo appear throughout a polite Tagalog conversation. They are transcribed, but they carry no clinical content and do not end up in the note. Family members frequently join the consultation; speaker separation labels the voices so a relative's account of the history stays distinct from the patient's.
If the patient is more comfortable in another language from the islands, such as Cebuano or Ilocano, the language may still be detected, but quality is less predictable. Test it in the trial before relying on it.
Checking quality honestly
Tagalog is one of the languages named on the site, and Taglish code-switching is the normal case rather than an exception. Accuracy still varies with accent, speed and background noise. Use the trial on real visits, read a few transcripts in full, and judge whether the notes need more correction than you are willing to do.
Describing pain and severity
Tagalog has its own shades for pain: kirot for a sharp or stinging pain, hapdi for a burning or smarting one, and ngalay for an ache from strain or holding a position. Patients may also soften severity out of politeness. A pain score said as a number, in any language, is more reliable than an adjective, so ask for one and repeat it aloud.
The same goes for location. Pointing is common, and a transcript cannot see a gesture. Name the site as you confirm it, for example 'so the pain is in the right lower abdomen'.
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.
- It does not write the note in Tagalog or any language other than English.
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
Does it understand Spanish-derived clock times like alas-otso?
They are usually transcribed as spoken. Because the note depends on reading them correctly, restate important times in English during the visit and check the plan in the draft.
Can it write the note in Tagalog?
No. The note is always written in English.
Will it understand English words inside Tagalog sentences?
Yes. Mixed sentences are expected. Review the draft as you would any AI note.
What about other languages spoken alongside Tagalog?
Most languages are detected automatically, but quality varies. Try your patients' languages during the trial.
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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