From the Speech Pathology Resources archive. View the original article →
Why are clinicians turning to AI scribes?
Many speech pathologists and clinicians are exploring AI scribes to reduce the cognitive load of documentation. For some, especially neurodivergent clinicians, juggling rapport, prompting, and live note-taking can be exhausting. AI scribes don’t replace clinical thinking, but they can reduce friction so attention stays on the client.
Is there a “best” AI scribe for speech pathologists?
There isn’t one best AI scribe for everyone. What works well depends on how you work, when you write notes, what you want included, and what parts of documentation you find most demanding. Crowdsourced recommendations can be helpful, but they rarely account for individual workflows.
What should you look at before choosing an AI scribe?
A more useful approach is to evaluate fit rather than popularity.
Key questions include:
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Do you document during sessions or after?
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Do you want your sessions transcribed live, recorded, or a mix?
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Do you work mostly on mobile or desktop?
- What note format do you like? (SOAP, DAP, Narrative...)
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What consent and privacy requirements apply in your setting?
Starting with these questions helps narrow options quickly.
Why do some clinicians have poor experiences with AI scribes?
A poor experience can reflect a mismatch with your workflow, but also product limitations, transcription errors, accessibility barriers or unsuitable data handling. A trial should evaluate these issues as well as setup and editing time; a good template cannot make an unsuitable product safe.
How should you trial an AI scribe safely?
Start with fictional notes or simulated sessions. Only move to client material after assessing the tool and obtaining appropriate consent and service approval. Compare accuracy, omissions, editing time and data handling across representative tasks.
Want help choosing without trial-and-error?
If you want a structured way to compare AI scribes based on your workflow, explore my AI Toolkit and upcoming live workshops.
Join the email list to receive weekly, clinician-tested AI workflows and practical examples for real clinical work. https://www.speechpathologyresources.com.au/weekly-ai-tips