Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to record my doctor's appointment?

Recording laws vary by state. Most states (38 + DC) require only one-party consent, meaning you can record a conversation you're part of without asking permission.

Two-party (all-party) consent states — require everyone's consent:

California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Washington

One-party consent states — you can record without asking:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Washington D.C.

Note: Some states have nuances between phone calls and in-person conversations. Vermont has no state law, so federal one-party consent applies.

Our recommendation: Always get permission—most doctors welcome engaged patients. In fact, 93% of health systems are already using or planning to adopt ambient AI tools for medical documentation.

Sources: World Population Review, Justia 50 State Survey

Should I tell my doctor I'm recording?

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Does Patiently work with telehealth appointments?

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Can I import recordings I already have?

Yes. You can import audio files from Voice Memos, other recorder apps, or any audio file on your device. Patiently will transcribe and summarize them just like a live recording.

Is Patiently HIPAA compliant?

Patiently is a consumer app where users record and store their own health information. HIPAA applies to healthcare providers and their business associates, not personal health tools like this.

That said, we take privacy seriously:

• Data encrypted at rest and in transit (Firebase/Google Cloud)
• Face ID / Touch ID protection
• Sign-in via Apple or Google, we never see your password
• AI processing only, your data isn't used to train models
• Never sold to advertisers
• Full deletion rights, individual visits or entire account

As we grow and explore partnerships with healthcare organizations, SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance are on our roadmap.

Where does my data live and how is it secured?

Your data is stored securely in Google Firebase (Google Cloud Platform), with servers in the United States. This includes:

• Audio recordings (Google Cloud Storage)
• Transcripts, summaries, and AI analysis (Firestore database)
• Family member information
• Chat history

All data is encrypted at rest and in transit. You can delete individual visits or your entire account at any time from within the app.

Is my data used to train AI models?

No. We use AI services (Google Gemini, OpenAI, Perplexity) solely for processing your recordings and generating summaries. Your data is not used to train their models.

Who can see my recordings and summaries?

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What do I get after recording?

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Can I ask questions after the appointment?

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What if something is missing or wrong?

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How do I track visits for multiple family members?

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Can I share visits with family members?

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How do I sign in?

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Can I use Patiently on multiple devices?

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Can I delete my data?

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