The Charting Cure, Part 2: How to Choose the Right AI Scribe Tool for Clinical Use

What to look for, what to avoid, and how to find your best fit

🧭 Recap

In Part 1, we dipped our toes into the world of AI note-taking with non-clinical tools like Otter and Fireflies. These are easy, low-stakes ways to experiment with how AI listens, transcribes, and supports your workflow.

Now, we’re turning the corner into clinical-grade tools designed for real patient care. These platforms promise to reduce after-hours charting and cognitive load—but not all are created equal. Let’s look at how to choose one that actually works for you.

🛡️ Why HIPAA Compliance Is Just the Starting Point

When it comes to using AI in clinical care, “HIPAA-compliant” isn’t a checkbox - it’s shorthand for a set of best practices to ensure confidentiality and information security. 

To safely use any AI tool in real patient visits, you’ll want:

• A signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA)

• End-to-end encryption of data

• Control over whether recordings are stored or deleted

• The ability to review and edit every note before it’s saved

⚠️ Pro Tip: Even during a pilot, don’t record real patient conversations unless you have a signed BAA in place.

📋 What to Look for in a Clinical AI Scribe

Think of this like choosing a practice partner. The best tools don’t just transcribe - they adapt to how you work.

🛠️ Tools Worth Exploring

Here are some of the most talked-about clinical-grade AI scribe platforms in 2025:

🔹 Scribeberry

• SOAP note generator and letter builder for fast documentation

• Works as a Chrome extension across EHRs

• BAA available
  ✅ Great for: solo providers, residents, and SOAP-style notes

🔹 Freed.ai

• Ambient listening and full-visit transcription

• Clean interface, mobile-friendly, customizable note templates

• BAA available
  ✅ Great for: longer visits, home care, and nuance-rich encounters

🔹 Suki

• Voice-activated assistant with strong EHR integrations

• Learns your charting style and adapts over time
  ✅ Great for: high-volume clinicians and mobile use

🔹 DeepScribe

• Ambient scribe designed for primary care and specialties

• Focuses on structured EHR output with minimal disruption
  ✅ Great for: consistent workflows and medium-length visits

🔹 Nabla Copilot

• Transcribes and summarizes real-time visits

• Strong AI learning + user-friendly design
  ✅ Great for: fast adoption and hybrid/virtual care

🔹 Abridge (Enterprise-Only)

• Robust analytics, sentiment tagging, structured summaries
  ✅ Great for: large systems, academic centers, and leadership pilots

🧪 How to Pilot an AI Scribe in Real Practice

Start small. Test how a tool fits your actual day-to-day, not just its features list.

• Pick short visits or routine follow-ups to start

• Use the AI tool for drafts only—you review and edit every note

• Time yourself: is it saving you minutes or creating more work?

• Watch for tone and clinical voice—is it still you on the page?

• Get patient consent and pay attention to comfort with ambient listening

💬 Quick Ask: What Have You Tried?

Which AI scribe tool have you used—and would you recommend it?

👇 Drop a comment below and let me know what worked (or didn’t). I’m collecting real-world stories to share with others navigating the same journey. Bonus points if you’re using one in hospice, peds, or home-based care!

🔜 Coming Next...

Part 3 – AI Can’t Heal What You Avoid: The Emotional Work Behind Documentation
Perfectionism, guilt, and avoidance...oh my. We’ll explore the internal drivers of documentation fatigue and how to shift your relationship to the note, with or without AI.