Get Started with PCC Scribe

PCC Scribe is a powerful tool for increasing your sense of connection in the exam room and reducing documentation burden. Learn how it works, who it’s for, and what you should consider as you prepare to incorporate this technology into your charting workflows.

Learn How PCC Scribe Works

At the press of a button, PCC Scribe transcribes dictation or the conversation in the room.

When you’re ready, PCC Scribe turns the transcript into a draft chart note using HIPAA-compliant generative AI technology. You can review, edit, and insert the note into your patient’s chart.

Start with the default configuration, then build custom templates that tell PCC Scribe how to integrate with your practice’s protocols.

PCC Scribe is designed to support you. You can choose when to transcribe audio, which note template to use, what to keep or change in the draft chart note, and where to insert the draft chart note into the visit protocol.

Well after you have completed charting, your old transcripts, draft chart notes, and other transient Scribe content is deleted from your PCC system. Your practice can choose the time frame. If you need to delete Scribe tool content sooner, there’s an option for that too.

PCC Scribe is flexible enough to fit into your current workflows and powerful enough to add time back to your busy schedule, but it comes with some considerations. Keep reading to find out more.

Know When to Use PCC Scribe

Right now, PCC Scribe can only be used in certain contexts.

Visit Encounters Only

PCC Scribe can be used in the context of any visit protocol in PCC EHR.

At this time, PCC Scribe cannot be used in non-visit encounters. Non-visit encounters include phone notes, portal messages, billing encounters, and eRx-only encounters.

In-Person Visits and Sometimes Telemedicine

PCC Scribe can be used in the context of in-person visits.

Depending on your telemedicine platform, PCC Scribe may be able to transcribe your patient’s audio in addition to your own. PCC encourages experimentation but does not guarantee the use of PCC Scribe for telemedicine encounters. If you discover a set up that works reliably, please let us know! If PCC Scribe is not compatible with your telemedicine platform, you can try dictating telemedicine encounter notes into the Scribe tool instead.

Transcription Available on Local PCC EHR Installations Only

PCC Scribe can transcribe audio on local installations of the PCC EHR application.

At this time, PCC Scribe cannot be used for audio transcription while logged in remotely through SecureConnect, remote desktop, or on a terminal server. However, if you already have a transcript and simply need to generate a note, you can log in anywhere and use PCC Scribe to do so.

Get to Know Who Can Use PCC Scribe

PCC Scribe can help anyone who charts the medical encounter.

PCC Scribe can turn speech into text documentation, but it can’t fill out discrete fields like diagnoses, vitals, orders, prescriptions, allergies, and problems. Users who mostly document discrete data may have limited use for PCC Scribe.

Just like any other charting process, PCC Scribe users can only document their own interactions with patients. Notes created with the help of PCC Scribe are attributed to the user who created them.

Multiple users can transcribe and generate notes for the same visit.

Get to Know the Rules and Risks

PCC Scribe relies on audio transcription and generative AI technologies. Use of these technologies comes with certain rules and risks.

Rules

While there is no federal rule at this time governing the use of generative AI tools in the medical setting, most states do have rules about the consent necessary for audio transcription. Refer to counsel, state law, and state professional standards to figure out what rules you may be required to follow and how best to follow them.

In general, your practice should consider how it will:

  • Inform patients that clinicians and staff use a tool that transcribes audio,
  • Obtain and document patient consent to transcribe audio,
  • Make it clear to patients when you are transcribing audio,
  • Ensure that clinicians and staff are consistently reviewing scribed notes for accuracy, and completeness before inserting them into patient charts.

Risks

Risk mitigation is built into PCC Scribe. Here are some common sources of risk and how PCC Scribe addresses them:

  • Control Over Mechanisms of Action: Use of PCC Scribe is completely optional and all tool actions are user-initiated or user-configurable.

  • Storage of Conversation Records: PCC Scribe does not store audio recordings, it stores text transcripts generated from audio in real time.

  • Audio Processing: The technology that turns audio recordings into transcripts is hosted by PCC. No audio leaves PCC in order to be turned into a transcript.

  • Transmission of Data to a Third Party: PCC Scribe relies on a third-party Large Language Model (LLM) provider to generate draft chart notes from transcripts. PCC Scribe shares only the following data with the LLM provider: the transcript, the doctor’s name, the patient’s age, the patient’s pronouns (if marked public in the chart), the length of transcription time, the day of the week, and the date. PCC has a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the third-party LLM provider ensuring zero retention of PCC Scribe data.

  • Presence of Draft Data: To prevent draft data (transcripts, unused draft chart notes, context notes, and Scribe instructions) from being interpreted as finalized documentation of the medical encounter, content within the Scribe tool in PCC EHR is automatically deleted after a number of days as determined by your practice. Automatic deletion does not affect scribed content that was inserted into patient charts.

Please refer questions about risk to your legal counsel, and reach out to PCC Support if you need additional technical information.

Review Your Policies and Procedures

Once you know the rules and risks of integrating PCC Scribe into your practice, assess your policies and procedures and then make necessary adjustments.

For example, if your state requires you to obtain consent before using audio transcription with your patients, you might want to add a Consent to Record form to your new patient intake and annual update packets. If your state is very strict or your practice prefers a very cautious approach, you could go so far as to obtain and document patient consent at every visit.

Some states only require you to inform patients that you use an audio transcription tool. In this case, updating your Notice of Privacy Practices to disclose your practice’s use of ambient scribe technology may suffice to meet your legal obligations.

If your legal counsel advises you that your malpractice insurer should be notified, reach out to your insurer for guidance before you begin using PCC Scribe.

If PCC Scribe will change your standard operating procedures, such as how medical assistants conduct patient intake, update your internal documentation to simplify new employee training.

You may also want to create or update your Designated Record Set policy to clearly define which documents are used for medical decision-making. For example, you may wish to define content in the visit protocol as part of the designated record set, but exclude content stored exclusively in the Scribe tool, such as transcripts, draft chart notes, context notes, and instructions.

Ultimately, the policies and procedures you implement will depend on your state laws, state professional board standards, malpractice insurance carrier, and your practice’s risk tolerance. Speak with counsel to establish your responsibilities and design compliant solutions that are right for your practice.

Choose Your Template Configuration Approach

A template tells PCC Scribe what kind of note to generate and where to insert the note into the patient’s visit protocol. Users can design their own templates or copy from each other.

Your practice should choose a template configuration approach that fits with how you chart. Consider who will configure PCC Scribe templates, and how those templates will be structured.

Individualized Templates

PCC Scribe users make templates that fit their visit protocols. Individual customization of note content, structure, and format is prioritized over uniformity across the practice. Clinicians organically share templates with each other and customize freely.

Where Individualized Templates Work Best: This approach works well for practices where clinicians use their own custom protocols to chart similar visits and where all clinicians are highly engaged in system configuration and workflow optimization.

Shared Templates

One or two superusers design PCC Scribe templates that all users copy. Note uniformity across the practice is prioritized over individual clinician preference. Updates to templates are managed by a designated person or small group and copied by all PCC Scribe users.

Where Shared Templates Work Best: This approach works well for practices where all clinicians use the same protocols to chart visits and where system configuration is controlled by one person or a small group.

A Mix of Individualized and Shared Templates

One or two superusers design PCC Scribe templates that all users copy, but clinicians can create their own templates or customize the shared ones to suit their preferences. Clinicians organically share templates with each other, and a designated person or small group continuously improves the core practice templates for all users.

Where Where a Mix of Templates Works Best: This approach works well at practices that want to provide a baseline level of configuration and quality control to all PCC Scribe users while allowing clinicians to tailor templates to their individual preferences.

Evaluate the Cost

PCC Scribe is a monthly add-on to your PCC Care Plan. After an initial implementation fee, your practice pays a monthly fee that is calculated according to the size of your practice. For pricing information, contact PCC Support.

Meet the Technical Requirements for Audio Transcription

PCC Scribe can only transcribe audio if your workstation has a microphone and the PCC EHR application is locally installed.

Install PCC EHR Locally

Audio transcription will not work if you connect to PCC EHR via SecureConnect, terminal server, or remote desktop. Work with your local IT provider if you need to switch to a local installation of the PCC EHR application.

Establish Microphone Access

If you work on a laptop, you can use your laptop’s microphone for scribing.

If your workstation doesn’t have a microphone, explore other solutions.

For example, if your practice has computer terminals and monitors set up in every exam room, you could install external microphones or equip PCC Scribe users with laptops. If you need help designing a solution, work with your local IT provider.

Enable PCC Scribe

Contact PCC to enable PCC Scribe. Once you sign the addendum to your PCC Care Plan and pay the one-time implementation fee, your Client Advocate will enable the tool. After enablement, you can configure PCC Scribe users and templates.

  • Last modified: May 7, 2026