Do I need a separate device for an AI scribe?

Usually not. Most AI scribes run on the phone or computer you already carry. Some are built around a dedicated recorder: one clinician in a podiatry forum uses a Plaud pin, a $180 wearable, with a $7-a-month plan, and likes the price. They also reported problems syncing. A separate device is one more thing to buy, charge, carry and lose.

What does a dedicated recorder offer?

A low monthly price, a microphone built for the job, and a simple habit: clip it on, press the button. For a clinician who wants the cheapest possible start, that is a real appeal, and that clinician said it had cut their new-patient notes to about a minute.

What does it cost besides money?

Charging it. Remembering it. Syncing it, which is where that clinician ran into trouble. And one more place where recordings of your patients exist, on a device that can be left in a coat pocket or a car.

Does microphone quality matter?

Yes. A clinician said their AI scribe became ten times better once they added an external microphone. But that can be a small microphone on the phone or computer you already own. You do not need a new device to get better audio.

What should I choose?

If the phone in your pocket can do the job, use it. It is already charged, already with you, and already protected by the passcode you use for everything else. Add a better microphone if the notes suffer.

The short version

You probably do not need one. The phone or computer you already own can do the job, and a separate recorder is one more thing to charge, carry and lose. You already own the hardware. For practices, Solanto will run on the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Watch they already have.

The price is on the page, not behind a call. Early access is open: solanto.ai/pricing

Count the chargers on your desk. Send this to the colleague with the most.