Before your first AI Scribe session
A few minutes of setup so your first AI Scribe session works: allow the microphone, pick the right source for in-person or video, run a proper test, and tell your client what's happening.
- A client record to test on. A test client is fine (lesson 2.1), and AI Scribe needs a client before it starts
- A computer with a microphone. For Zoom, Google Meet or Teams calls, use Chrome or Edge
Allow your microphone
The first time you start AI Scribe, your browser asks to use your microphone. Click Allow.
If it was blocked, Carepatron shows "Microphone access was blocked. Allow it in your browser settings and try again." To fix it:
- In Chrome or Edge, click the icon at the left of the web address. In Safari, go to Safari → Settings.
- Set Microphone to Allow.
- Refresh the page and start again.
Then check the Microphone picker under the Start AI Scribe button. Using a headset or an external mic? Choose it there. If you see "No microphone detected", connect one and try again.
Pick the source that matches your session
Open the client's record, start a new note and click Start AI Scribe. In Before you start, the Source menu sets what AI Scribe listens to:
- Live Scribe: in-person sessions, using your device's microphone. Put the device where it can hear you both.
- Telehealth: sessions on another video tool, such as Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams. Click Share audio and start AI Scribe, choose the tab with your call, turn on Also share tab audio, then click Share. This is how AI Scribe hears your client. It needs Chrome or Edge on a computer, so the option is greyed out elsewhere.
- Live Dictation: you speak the note yourself, for example straight after a session.
- Upload: a recording you already have, up to 1GB.
Using Carepatron Telehealth? Skip the menu. When you host on a computer, the AI Scribe panel opens on the right of the call (the AI Scribe button reopens it). Click Start transcribing, or set Auto-transcribe meetings to Auto-on for all sessions (Lesson 3.3). It captures everyone on the call. If you mute yourself, your own words aren't captured.
Run a proper test
There's no minimum length, but AI Scribe needs to hear speech. Short or near-silent tests are one of the most common reasons a first try fails, with "No audible speech was detected. Recording may be too short or audio quality insufficient."
- Open a test client and choose Live Scribe.
- Click Start AI Scribe.
- Talk through a pretend session out loud, at normal volume, the way you would with a client. The waveform should move while you speak.
- Click End session. Your note is generated when the session ends.
- Open the draft and check it caught what you said.
If something goes wrong
- "Not receiving audio": check your microphone and keep the tab open. If the message doesn't clear within a minute, end the session and start AI Scribe again.
- The page closed or refreshed mid-session: open the client's record or the note again. The session comes back paused, ready to Resume.
- The note failed: the banner on the note shows View details and, when the failure can be retried, Retry. A "No audible speech" failure can't be retried, so start a new session.
- Uploading a file: stay on the page until the upload finishes. Leaving cancels it.
- "Taking longer than expected": the note is still being written. You don't need to do anything.
Still stuck? Contact support from the Help menu in Carepatron.
Tell your client first
Carepatron reminds you to get consent ("Before transcribing, be sure to get consent from all participants."), but it doesn't ask your client for you or show them a notice. So tell them, before you start, that AI Scribe is listening and what it's for.
Consent rules differ by profession, country and state, so check what applies to you. The sample wording below is a starting point to adapt, not legal advice. Record their answer the way your practice records consent, and if they'd rather not, write the note the usual way.
Tick these off in your own workspace before moving on.
A consent script you can adapt.
Put it in your own words, and check your professional body's and local requirements before you rely on it.
Before we start, I'd like to use AI Scribe to help with my notes. It listens to our session and drafts a note, which I check and finish myself. Is that okay with you? You can say no, or ask me to stop at any time.
Just so you know, I use AI Scribe to help me write my notes. It listens to this call and drafts a note for me to review. Are you comfortable with that today?
That's absolutely fine. I'll take notes the usual way.
I sometimes use AI Scribe, an AI note-taking tool in Carepatron, to transcribe sessions and draft my clinical notes. I review and finish every note myself. I'll ask before each use, and you can say no at any time.
Do I need my client's consent to use AI Scribe?
Carepatron reminds you to get consent from everyone in the session, but it doesn't collect consent for you. What you need depends on your profession and where you practise, so check your local requirements. Asking before you start and recording the answer is a sensible baseline.
Does my client see that AI Scribe is on?
Carepatron doesn't show clients a notice that AI Scribe is on, in person or in a Carepatron Telehealth call. Tell them yourself before you start.
Why did my test say "No audible speech was detected"?
AI Scribe didn't hear enough speech, usually because the test was very short or quiet, or the wrong microphone was selected. Check the Microphone picker, start a new session and talk at normal volume.
My browser blocked the microphone. How do I fix it?
In Chrome or Edge, click the icon at the left of the web address and set Microphone to Allow. In Safari, go to Safari → Settings and allow the microphone. Refresh the page and start AI Scribe again.
Can I use AI Scribe with Zoom, Google Meet or Teams?
Yes. Choose Telehealth as the source, click Share audio and start AI Scribe, pick the tab with your call and turn on Also share tab audio. This needs Chrome or Edge on a computer.
Can I upload a recording instead?
Yes. Choose Upload as the source and add one audio or video file (MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4 and other common formats) up to 1GB. Stay on the page until the upload finishes.
Can I pause during a session?
Yes. Click Pause while AI Scribe is recording, then Resume when you're ready. Click End session when you're done, and the note is generated.
What's "AI summaries & your settings" in Before you start?
It's your own setting for whether AI summaries are used for your sessions. It doesn't affect anyone else in your workspace, and it isn't your client's consent.