A clear, step-by-step look at what Neela's Scribe records, stores, and shares during medical appointments.
If you've never used it, "Neela listens during appointments" can sound like a bigger ask than it is. Recording a conversation with a doctor raises real questions, like where it's stored, who can hear it, and what happens if you forget to turn it off. Those are fair questions. Here's the short version: Scribe is off until you turn it on, it keeps a written transcript and summary rather than an audio recording, and you control it appointment by appointment. Below is exactly what happens, step by step.
No. Scribe is off by default, and nothing is ever recorded unless you open the app and turn it on yourself, appointment by appointment. There's no background listening and no "always on" microphone waiting for a keyword. You're in control of when it starts, every time.
You tap Scribe, and Neela listens to the conversation as it happens, and that's it. You don't have to do anything else, no notetaking, no trying to remember the name of the new medication while also trying to understand what it's for. You get to be in the room.
You tap it off, and this is the part people are usually most surprised by: the audio recording itself isn't stored. What Neela keeps is the written transcript and a clear summary of what was said, what changed, and the next steps. The conversation becomes something you can reread later, without a raw recording sitting somewhere indefinitely.
The summary connects to that person's ongoing record, so the next time you're prepping for an appointment, or your sibling is trying to catch up on what happened, it's not a separate file to go dig up. It's already sitting next to the medication list, the last summary, and everything else that gives it context.
The value of Scribe isn't really about the transcript; it's about what you get back: your attention. Appointments move fast, and doctors don't wait for you to finish writing before they move to the next point. Most caregivers end up choosing between listening carefully and writing everything down, and neither one alone is enough. Scribe means you don't have to choose, so you can ask a follow-up question, watch your loved one's face, and process what's being said, and still walk out with a complete, accurate record.
You decide when to use Scribe and when not to. Some conversations don't need it, like a quick check-in or a hallway conversation with a nurse, anything you'd rather just talk through. Scribe is there for the moments where a clear record matters, not a requirement for every interaction.
If the idea of Neela "listening" has been the thing holding you back, hopefully this makes it less abstract. It's a tool you turn on, record the appointment, and get a summary from, so you can be fully present when you need to be.
Can you record a doctor's appointment with Neela?
Yes. You open the app and turn on Scribe at the start of the appointment, and Neela captures the conversation. It's off by default and only runs when you turn it on, so you decide which appointments to record.
Does Neela store the audio from my appointment?
No. The audio recording isn't stored. Neela keeps a written transcript and a summary covering what was said, what changed, and the next steps, so you have a record to reread without a raw recording sitting somewhere.
Do I have to use Scribe for every appointment?
No. You choose when to use it. Quick check-ins or hallway conversations don't need it. Scribe is there for the appointments where an accurate record matters.
Where do Scribe summaries end up?
Each summary connects to that person's ongoing record, next to their medication list and previous summaries, so it has context and family members can catch up without asking you to relay it.