What are AI Scribes? How They’re Transforming Clinical Documentation
You spend hours typing notes, editing drafts, or transcribing recordings.
That time could be spent with patients, families — or even a quick coffee break.
AI scribes are designed to give it back.
What do AI scribes do?
An AI scribe is a software assistant that listens to spoken language —like a patient encounter — and turns it into a structured note.
It uses large language models, speech‑to‑text engines, and domain‑specific training to transcribe and structure clinical notes in real time.
AI scribes (also known as ambient scribes or digital scribes) will:
- Capture the conversation as it happens
- Organize the content into the format you need
- Learn from your edits to improve over time
Top benefits of AI scribes
More and more clinicians are adopting AI medical scribes into their clinical workflow. In 2024, the market size had grown to over 1 billion. According to experts, this is just the beginning — we’ll likely see an estimated 7.85 billion by 2033.
This means demand, and usage is high. But what’s in it for the clinician? Can they meaningfully impact your daily workflow?
Faster documentation
Physicians spend on average 35% of their time documenting patient data. This is especially overwhelming for small practices with less admin support and overhead. Of the 1,000 clinicians surveyed, 77% in small practices said that paperwork is a “heavy burden.”
AI scribes are designed to cut your time in half by accurately identifying important information and formatting a SOAP note (or a different type of progress note) based on your preferences, templates, and specialty.
Note accuracy
It’s no secret that the electronic health record is… imperfect at best. No matter your system, you’re navigating a mass of complex fields. If AI scribes are to be useful, they must accurately translate your clinical encounter into a note that you can actually use.
That’s why AI medical scribes like Freed use automatic speech recognition (ASR) specifically trained for clinical use. This means that it’s been trained to capture medical terminology and understand the context of visit. For example, Freed’s AI models have been trained on over 27,000 medical terms and medications.
Safeguards are also in place to make sure that the final note fits what was said —with a final mechanism checking to make sure that the note follows the transcript, and removing any potential hallucinations or inconsistencies. Then it takes what it learns to apply to future notes and improve itself.
Lower costs
Human medical scribes can cost $50K per provider per year — and that’s not including additional benefits and training.
The costs of AI scribes vary, but on average you’ll pay roughly $3000 a year on the high end. That’s about a 70% cut.
And some AI scribes, like Freed, design pricing models with small practices and individual clinics in mind — costing roughly $1,000 a year and cutting out the additional cost of onboarding, turnover, and management of additional staff.
How AI scribes differ from traditional tools
AI scribes are the next step in a long line of medical dictation and transcription tools. Here’s how they differ from standard medical transcription.
Related reading: Traditional Medical Transcription vs. AI Scribes Comparison Guide
How to get started with AI scribes
Getting started is easier than most clinicians expect. Modern AI medical scribes are designed to fit into your day without adding steps, extra logins, or more screens.
Here’s a simple, clinician-friendly walkthrough of how to start using an AI scribe for clinical documentation.
1. Create your account
Most AI scribe tools give each clinician their own secure workspace. With Freed, signup takes a couple of minutes. There’s no installation and no onboarding call needed.
It’s a quick way to see whether AI note-taking fits your workflow. Plus, you can use Freed’s 7-day free trial to see if it’s a fit.
2. Use the device you already have
One of the biggest perks of AI scribes is flexibility — on any device, in any location. You might:
- Prep on your laptop
- Record the patient visit from your phone
- Finish your chart on your desktop.
Everything stays synced, so you’re free to move between devices without losing your place.
3. Choose templates and set your preferences
To get the most out of AI clinical documentation spend a minute upfront telling it how you like your notes.
Freed offers specialty-specific templates, or you can build your own if you’re picky about structure or phrasing (most clinicians are). Small tweaks here make future notes faster and more accurate.
4. Capture your visit
This is the moment clinicians usually say, “Oh… that’s it?”
Just click Capture conversation and run your visit like you normally would. The AI listens in the background and takes care of the documentation so you don’t have to divide your attention.
5. Review your note
When the visit ends, you’ll get a structured, chart-ready draft in seconds. This is where the real magic of AI note-taking shows up — clear, organized, and easy to skim. Give it a quick review, make edits if needed, and the AI will learn your preferences for next time.
6. Send it to your EHR
Every tool handles this part differently. Freed makes it simple with copy/paste or a Chrome extension that lets you push the note straight into your EHR without switching windows. It works with any web-based system, which means zero implementation work and no waiting on IT.
7. Lean on help resources
If you’re still figuring out how to use an AI scribe or you want quick tips on customizing notes, check out the help center, guides, or walkthrough videos. Freed’s “Getting started” resources walk you through setup, recording basics, and common EHR workflows so you can get comfortable fast.
Related Resource: How to Use Freed’s AI Scribe
Are AI scribes safe?
Data privacy is the first question clinicians ask about AI scribes — and for good reason. Your notes aren’t just text; they’re protected health information (PHI), tied to real people who trust you with their stories.
The good news: today’s leading AI medical scribes are built with security at the center, not as an afterthought. And Freed takes this even further.
Built on HIPAA-level security
Freed is fully HIPAA-compliant. All PHI is encrypted in transit and at rest, stored on secure U.S.-based servers, and accessible only to authorized users. Enterprise customers also receive a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for added protection.
Your data stays yours
Freed’s AI models do not train on PHI. Recordings, transcripts, and notes are used only to generate your documentation — nothing is repurposed or fed into broader model training.
You stay in control
Clinicians choose what to keep, what to delete, and how long data remains available. You can delete recordings immediately and set automatic deletion settings for notes.
Designed for real-world compliance
Freed follows industry best practices and uses strict access controls, audit logging, and end-to-end encryption to keep data private.
Bottom line: AI scribes are safe when built with healthcare-grade security. With Freed, your patient data is protected, encrypted, and always under your control.
What the future of AI scribes looks like
The next generation of AI medical scribes won’t just write notes. They’ll support the entire clinical workflow.
Freed’s CEO, Erez Druk, describes a future where clinicians spend their time on care, and AI quietly handles everything else in the background.
Here are the big shifts already taking shape:
AI scribes becoming full clinical assistants
Instead of just producing a draft note, AI will help prep for visits, track follow-ups, surface overdue tasks, and support coding and documentation right as the visit ends.
The note becomes one output of a much smarter assistant — not the whole job.
EHR workflows getting truly seamless
Clinicians shouldn’t have to jump between windows or copy/paste.
The future is one-click EHR integration, automatic field placement, and an agent that knows where information belongs.
Documentation moves from “a chore you do” to something that happens automatically behind the scenes.
More accurate and reliable notes
AI scribes are getting better at learning a clinician’s exact style — structure, phrasing, level of detail, specialty nuance. Instead of rewriting drafts, clinicians will get chart-ready notes that already match how they think and document.
Ambient, real-time capture
We’re moving from “transcribing after the fact” to AI capturing the visit as it happens — accurately, quietly, and without interrupting the patient conversation. This means fewer missed details and far fewer hours spent finishing charts later.
The beginning of a new clinical workflow
AI scribes aren’t just another documentation tool. They represent a real shift in how clinicians spend their time, attention, and energy.
What started as a way to speed up medical charting has become a smarter, more reliable assistant that reduces your mental load.
Whether you’re in a small practice juggling full panels or in a larger clinic where every minute matters, the promise is the same: a workflow that lets you leave work on time.
Want to try an AI scribe? Sign up for a free trial — no credit card required!
What are AI Scribes? How They’re Transforming Clinical Documentation
Table of Contents
You spend hours typing notes, editing drafts, or transcribing recordings.
That time could be spent with patients, families — or even a quick coffee break.
AI scribes are designed to give it back.
What do AI scribes do?
An AI scribe is a software assistant that listens to spoken language —like a patient encounter — and turns it into a structured note.
It uses large language models, speech‑to‑text engines, and domain‑specific training to transcribe and structure clinical notes in real time.
AI scribes (also known as ambient scribes or digital scribes) will:
- Capture the conversation as it happens
- Organize the content into the format you need
- Learn from your edits to improve over time
Top benefits of AI scribes
More and more clinicians are adopting AI medical scribes into their clinical workflow. In 2024, the market size had grown to over 1 billion. According to experts, this is just the beginning — we’ll likely see an estimated 7.85 billion by 2033.
This means demand, and usage is high. But what’s in it for the clinician? Can they meaningfully impact your daily workflow?
Faster documentation
Physicians spend on average 35% of their time documenting patient data. This is especially overwhelming for small practices with less admin support and overhead. Of the 1,000 clinicians surveyed, 77% in small practices said that paperwork is a “heavy burden.”
AI scribes are designed to cut your time in half by accurately identifying important information and formatting a SOAP note (or a different type of progress note) based on your preferences, templates, and specialty.
Note accuracy
It’s no secret that the electronic health record is… imperfect at best. No matter your system, you’re navigating a mass of complex fields. If AI scribes are to be useful, they must accurately translate your clinical encounter into a note that you can actually use.
That’s why AI medical scribes like Freed use automatic speech recognition (ASR) specifically trained for clinical use. This means that it’s been trained to capture medical terminology and understand the context of visit. For example, Freed’s AI models have been trained on over 27,000 medical terms and medications.
Safeguards are also in place to make sure that the final note fits what was said —with a final mechanism checking to make sure that the note follows the transcript, and removing any potential hallucinations or inconsistencies. Then it takes what it learns to apply to future notes and improve itself.
Lower costs
Human medical scribes can cost $50K per provider per year — and that’s not including additional benefits and training.
The costs of AI scribes vary, but on average you’ll pay roughly $3000 a year on the high end. That’s about a 70% cut.
And some AI scribes, like Freed, design pricing models with small practices and individual clinics in mind — costing roughly $1,000 a year and cutting out the additional cost of onboarding, turnover, and management of additional staff.
How AI scribes differ from traditional tools
AI scribes are the next step in a long line of medical dictation and transcription tools. Here’s how they differ from standard medical transcription.
Related reading: Traditional Medical Transcription vs. AI Scribes Comparison Guide
How to get started with AI scribes
Getting started is easier than most clinicians expect. Modern AI medical scribes are designed to fit into your day without adding steps, extra logins, or more screens.
Here’s a simple, clinician-friendly walkthrough of how to start using an AI scribe for clinical documentation.
1. Create your account
Most AI scribe tools give each clinician their own secure workspace. With Freed, signup takes a couple of minutes. There’s no installation and no onboarding call needed.
It’s a quick way to see whether AI note-taking fits your workflow. Plus, you can use Freed’s 7-day free trial to see if it’s a fit.
2. Use the device you already have
One of the biggest perks of AI scribes is flexibility — on any device, in any location. You might:
- Prep on your laptop
- Record the patient visit from your phone
- Finish your chart on your desktop.
Everything stays synced, so you’re free to move between devices without losing your place.
3. Choose templates and set your preferences
To get the most out of AI clinical documentation spend a minute upfront telling it how you like your notes.
Freed offers specialty-specific templates, or you can build your own if you’re picky about structure or phrasing (most clinicians are). Small tweaks here make future notes faster and more accurate.
4. Capture your visit
This is the moment clinicians usually say, “Oh… that’s it?”
Just click Capture conversation and run your visit like you normally would. The AI listens in the background and takes care of the documentation so you don’t have to divide your attention.
5. Review your note
When the visit ends, you’ll get a structured, chart-ready draft in seconds. This is where the real magic of AI note-taking shows up — clear, organized, and easy to skim. Give it a quick review, make edits if needed, and the AI will learn your preferences for next time.
6. Send it to your EHR
Every tool handles this part differently. Freed makes it simple with copy/paste or a Chrome extension that lets you push the note straight into your EHR without switching windows. It works with any web-based system, which means zero implementation work and no waiting on IT.
7. Lean on help resources
If you’re still figuring out how to use an AI scribe or you want quick tips on customizing notes, check out the help center, guides, or walkthrough videos. Freed’s “Getting started” resources walk you through setup, recording basics, and common EHR workflows so you can get comfortable fast.
Related Resource: How to Use Freed’s AI Scribe
Are AI scribes safe?
Data privacy is the first question clinicians ask about AI scribes — and for good reason. Your notes aren’t just text; they’re protected health information (PHI), tied to real people who trust you with their stories.
The good news: today’s leading AI medical scribes are built with security at the center, not as an afterthought. And Freed takes this even further.
Built on HIPAA-level security
Freed is fully HIPAA-compliant. All PHI is encrypted in transit and at rest, stored on secure U.S.-based servers, and accessible only to authorized users. Enterprise customers also receive a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for added protection.
Your data stays yours
Freed’s AI models do not train on PHI. Recordings, transcripts, and notes are used only to generate your documentation — nothing is repurposed or fed into broader model training.
You stay in control
Clinicians choose what to keep, what to delete, and how long data remains available. You can delete recordings immediately and set automatic deletion settings for notes.
Designed for real-world compliance
Freed follows industry best practices and uses strict access controls, audit logging, and end-to-end encryption to keep data private.
Bottom line: AI scribes are safe when built with healthcare-grade security. With Freed, your patient data is protected, encrypted, and always under your control.
What the future of AI scribes looks like
The next generation of AI medical scribes won’t just write notes. They’ll support the entire clinical workflow.
Freed’s CEO, Erez Druk, describes a future where clinicians spend their time on care, and AI quietly handles everything else in the background.
Here are the big shifts already taking shape:
AI scribes becoming full clinical assistants
Instead of just producing a draft note, AI will help prep for visits, track follow-ups, surface overdue tasks, and support coding and documentation right as the visit ends.
The note becomes one output of a much smarter assistant — not the whole job.
EHR workflows getting truly seamless
Clinicians shouldn’t have to jump between windows or copy/paste.
The future is one-click EHR integration, automatic field placement, and an agent that knows where information belongs.
Documentation moves from “a chore you do” to something that happens automatically behind the scenes.
More accurate and reliable notes
AI scribes are getting better at learning a clinician’s exact style — structure, phrasing, level of detail, specialty nuance. Instead of rewriting drafts, clinicians will get chart-ready notes that already match how they think and document.
Ambient, real-time capture
We’re moving from “transcribing after the fact” to AI capturing the visit as it happens — accurately, quietly, and without interrupting the patient conversation. This means fewer missed details and far fewer hours spent finishing charts later.
The beginning of a new clinical workflow
AI scribes aren’t just another documentation tool. They represent a real shift in how clinicians spend their time, attention, and energy.
What started as a way to speed up medical charting has become a smarter, more reliable assistant that reduces your mental load.
Whether you’re in a small practice juggling full panels or in a larger clinic where every minute matters, the promise is the same: a workflow that lets you leave work on time.
Want to try an AI scribe? Sign up for a free trial — no credit card required!
FAQs
Frequently asked questions from clinicians and medical practitioners.
What is an AI scribe?
Are AI scribes worth it?
How many doctors use AI scribes?
How accurate is Freed’s AI scribe?
Can AI scribes document complex visits?
How can I get started with Freed?
What is the best AI scribe for family medicine?
What is the best AI scribe for pediatricians?
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