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Note Taker FAQs


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Note Taker FAQs

Josh M.
Josh M.
  • Updated
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Note Taker FAQs

Josh M.
Josh M.
  • Updated

Our team is actively working on building our first integrated AI-driven tool called Note Taker. In this guide, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about Note Taker. For an overview of using Note Taker, see Understanding Note Taker. 

Below, we’ll cover: 

Using Note Taker 

Pricing and availability 

Data and security 

AI at SimplePractice 

Using Note Taker

Can I edit a draft progress note generated by Note Taker?

While Note Taker creates space for more meaningful conversations between you and your clients, it’s also important to note that AI may generate notes with mistakes, missing details, incorrect statements, accidental bias, or irrelevant information. To mitigate this, you’re required to review and edit all AI-generated content before saving a note.

Can I use Note Taker for in-person appointments?

Note Taker for in-person appointments currently isn’t available as part of our early adopter program program, but we’re planning to release this soon. We’ll notify you when this feature is available. 

Can Note Taker accurately understand human emotions?

While AI has made significant strides in analyzing human emotions through voice tone analysis and behavioral data, understanding emotions is a complex task. In general, AI can recognize patterns indicative of emotions, but the subtleties of human feelings and experiences are still difficult for AI to fully comprehend. That is why we require clinicians to review notes generated by Note Taker for accuracy and completeness before finalizing and locking them.

How do I talk to my clients about AI?

To talk to your clients about AI, we believe it's important to be transparent, clear, and empathetic. Here are some tips for how you can approach the conversation:

  • Be transparent and honest: Explain what AI tools you might use in therapy and their specific purposes, such as tracking progress or supporting treatment plans. Make sure clients fully understand how AI tools will be used and how their data will be handled. Reassure clients that AI is a supplement to the therapy process, not a replacement for human interaction.
  • Address concerns: Anticipate common worries like privacy and data security. Take time to listen to their concerns, highlight what security measures are in place to protect their data, and explain how AI tools will support, not replace, the therapeutic relationship.
  • Highlight the benefits: Emphasize the positive aspects of AI, such as how they will be able to better focus on the clients in session. Make sure clients understand how AI can help enhance their treatment rather than take over.
  • Maintain a human-centered approach: Always remind your clients that AI is meant to complement the therapeutic process and that human empathy, intuition, and connection remain at the core of therapy.

By having an open, honest conversation and addressing any concerns, you can build trust and make sure that clients feel comfortable with the integration of AI in their treatment.

Note: If your state requires two-party consent for audio recording, we’ll have a consent form available for you to send to your client.

How will I benefit from using Note Taker?

With Note Taker, you can save time on your documentation process and focus more on your clients during sessions instead of typing or writing notes by hand.

For more detailed information on Note Taker, see:

What if my client or I want to opt out of Note Taker?

You are in control, and you and your clients have the right to opt in or out of using AI tools for care at any time. 

Note Taker is an optional add-on to your subscription plan. If you add Note Taker to your subscription, you can choose not to use Note Taker to record a session. If you’d like to stop using Note Taker during a session, you can also stop recording at any time. 

Note: If your state requires two-party consent for audio recording, we’ll have a consent form available for you to send to your client. 

Who can access notes generated by Note Taker?

Only team members with access to a client’s profile can see their transcriptions and draft notes. For an overview of team member access levels, see Team member roles and access levels. 

If you submit a help request to Customer Success with a question about a transcription or draft note generated by Note Taker, a SimplePractice team member may securely access these to assist you further. 

Additionally, members of our Product team may reach out to see if you’d like to partner with us on enhancing Note Taker. With your permission, they’ll review your experience with the goal of improving the quality of the Note Taker tool. 

Per our Business Associate Agreement (BAA), all SimplePractice team members act under strict HIPAA obligations. Any SimplePractice team member who assists you is only allowed to view the minimum necessary data for us to deliver this support to you.

Pricing and availability

Can I join the Note Taker early adopter testing period?

Our waitlist for the Note Taker early adopter program is currently closed. If we reopen the early adopter program to additional clinicians, you'll receive communication on how to submit your interest. Please keep in mind that submitting your interest for our early adopter program doesn't guarantee your participation.

If you’d like to be notified as soon as the feature launches, you can sign up here. Once the feature launches, you’ll have access to a free trial of the feature so you can try it out before subscribing.

How much will Note Taker cost?

Note Taker will be available via an optional add-on to your subscription plan. Based on feedback from clinicians during the pre-release trial period, we’ll price the feature in a fair and competitive way, and communicate this pricing when the feature becomes available to all SimplePractice customers.

Note Taker doesn’t have a feature that another software is offering. When will this be available?

We’re constantly evaluating features available through Note Taker, and we’ll continue to enhance Note Taker moving forward. We’ll always consult with clinicians to determine what is most important to them and make sure we’re adding valuable enhancements that will help your practice thrive.

To help us enhance Note Taker, please use the feedback tool to provide us your input on what features you’d like to see added. 

feedback.simplepractice.notetaker.jpg

We’ll notify you as enhancements are added to Note Taker. As always, all of our features will be HIPAA compliant, follow our Security & Privacy policies, and be designed with input and thorough testing from licensed clinicians. SimplePractice has also been certified through HITRUST by a third-party assessor that verifies the strictest level of HIPAA and security compliance.

What plans will Note Taker be available on?

Due to the importance of documentation in therapy, Note Taker will be offered in all subscription plans as an optional add-on. For more information on our plans, see Which subscription plan is right for me?

When will Note Taker be available?

Currently, Note Taker is in advanced development stages, and we’ll have an early adopter period for customers to test and provide feedback on this feature starting in April. We’re expecting for Note Taker to be launched widely very soon, and we’ll communicate a date with you as soon as it’s available. 

Why isn’t Note Taker included in my subscription at no cost?

There are significant costs associated with AI computing and the features that Note Taker provides, such as distinguishing between speakers when recording, summarizing the session, and creating the transcription. Our goal is to deliver a tool that is valuable to our customers while still being priced fairly and competitively. 

We’ve also received feedback from our customers on wanting some features to be add-ons so that the base price of each subscription plan doesn’t increase. With these factors in mind, we’ve decided to make this feature an add-on for those who want to use it. 

Will Note Taker work with an external Telehealth platform?

Note Taker is designed to work only with SimplePractice Telehealth via our web app or mobile app. 

Data and security

Are my data and my clients’ data secure with Note Taker?

SimplePractice has received a HITRUST certification that verifies the strictest level of HIPAA and security compliance. Your data and your clients’ data are secure with any SimplePractice AI feature, as all SimplePractice features are HIPAA compliant and follow our Security & Privacy policies. 

Note: For more information on how Note Taker aligns with our Security & Privacy policies, see Understanding our approach to Note Taker. 

We’re deeply invested in the security and confidentiality of patient data. Protected Health Information (PHI) will never be sold and is always safeguarded in alignment with HIPAA regulations and our comprehensive Privacy Policy. 

What happens to the transcription data?

After you finish recording an appointment with Note Taker, a transcription is generated soon after. A draft note is then generated with the transcription data. 

While we retain transcription data for customers using Note Taker, the data is de-idenitified and anonymized, which means that any identifying data is completely removed and any association with the client or clinician is deleted. There will be no PHI that can be traced back to the client or the clinician. Additionally, the de-identified and anonymized transcription data will be fully encrypted. 

Our priority is making sure that the product we deliver to you is based on diverse needs and that you obtain maximum value from using this tool. Transcription data may be used to enhance Note Taker after all identifying data has been removed and all association with the client and clinician have been deleted. 

Important: We’ll never sell PHI or transcription data, and it’ll always live within SimplePractice. 

Will the recording and transcription of the appointment be deleted?

After you finish recording an appointment, Note Taker generates a transcription soon after and uses it to draft a note. The recording will be deleted immediately after the transcription is generated. 

After you’ve reviewed, locked, and signed the drafted note, the transcription is de-identified and anonymized, and any association with the client or clinician is deleted.

Important: If you don’t lock and sign a note within 7 days, any identifying data and association with the client or clinician will be deleted.

Will the transcription data be used to train the AI model?

After releasing Note Taker, we may improve the feature using transcription data that has had all identifying data removed and any association with the client or clinician deleted, which can include training.  

Important: We’ll never use transcription data that hasn’t had all identifying data and association with the client or clinician deleted to improve Note Taker. 

For more information on what happens to the transcription data after a note is locked and signed, see What happens to the transcription data?

Will you sell my data?

We’ll never sell PHI or transcription data. This data will always live within SimplePractice. 

AI at SimplePractice

Can I view the recording of the Note Taker live Q&A from April 2, 2025?

The Note Taker live Q&A was hosted by SimplePractice leaders on April 2, 2025 at 11 AM PT. To watch the recording, see:

What is SimplePractice’s overall approach to AI?

Our approach to AI is centered around three main principles:

  • Privacy and Data Security: Protecting patient data is our top priority.  We hold ourselves, and any vendors with whom we share data, to strict data privacy, security and ethical standards that align with regulations and best practices to ensure that data, including Protected Health Information (PHI) and other Personally Identifiable Information (PII), is collected, stored and used responsibly.  PHI and PII will never be sold.
  • Practitioner-centered: Mental health care is fundamentally human.  Practitioners will remain at the center of patient care, with AI serving as a supplement to inform and support the delivery of care while preserving the therapeutic relationship.  Our decision-making around the use and development of AI is rooted in our mission to empower mental health practitioners to thrive.
  • Clinical Integrity and Inclusivity: Through collaboration with licensed mental health professionals, our AI-powered solutions are grounded in clinical best practices and evidence-based standards.  We build our systems to serve diverse populations equitably, working to identify, reduce, and prevent bias in our AI systems.

Where else is AI used in my SimplePractice account?

We currently leverage AI through our chatbot to quickly provide answers to your questions and connect you with our team. For more information, see Getting support directly in your SimplePractice account. 

Note: For an overview of our support options, see How can I get help from your team? 

Will Note Taker replace therapists?

At SimplePractice, mental health care is fundamentally human, and clinicians will remain at the center of client care. We see AI as a supplement to inform and support the delivery of care while preserving the therapeutic relationship. 

AI should serve as a way to empower clinicians. We value the human connection and expertise clinicians bring, and we believe that the human elements of understanding, empathizing, and offering personalized support remain crucial in providing treatment. We built Note Taker to enhance your ability to run a thriving practice and allow you to spend more time on the tasks that are most important for you. 

Because you’re required to review notes generated by Note Taker, you have the final say over AI-generated content, allowing you to make sure your notes are ultimately in line with your expertise. 

Will you be adding more AI functionality to SimplePractice in the future?

We’re exploring adding AI tools and features in the future that will provide more efficiency and flexibility for your practice. All of our AI features will be HIPAA compliant, follow our Security & Privacy policies, and be designed with input and thorough testing from licensed clinicians. SimplePractice has received a HITRUST certification by a third-party assessor that verifies the strictest level of HIPAA and security compliance.  

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