Adoption of AI scribes in 2025 rapidly transforming general practice. These tools promise to reduce administrative burden and tackle burnout by converting conversations into structured notes. However, adopting AI in a healthcare setting—where patient trust and data security are paramount.

This checklist provides a broad, practical, and evergreen framework for General Practitioners (GPs) and practice leaders to evaluate AI scribe solutions, focusing on essential safeguards to ensure patient safety, data integrity, and regulatory compliance.

Privacy-First 

In the context of clinical documentation, the most sensitive piece of information, aside from the consultation transcript itself, is the patient's voice data. We recognised this inherent risk from day one.

A key differentiator—and the ultimate assurance of security—is our strict data handling protocol: Lyrebird Health does not permanently store the audio of patient consultations.

Here is our commitment:

• The consultation audio is instantly transcribed using state-of-the-art technology.
• The raw audio file is immediately and permanently destroyed once transcription is complete.

This process eliminates the risk associated with retaining sensitive voice data, offering practitioners and patients maximum privacy. This architectural design choice upholds the highest standards of data sovereignty, moving beyond simple compliance to genuine digital security.

Regulatory Excellence and End-to-End Security

Our commitment to a privacy-first design is complemented by rigorous operational security and validation. Lyrebird Health ensures every interaction is secure, from the moment a clinician uses our tool to the final delivery of the structured note.

• End-to-End Encryption: All data, both in transit and at rest, is secured using industry-leading encryption protocols.
• HIPAA and Data Protection Compliance: We maintain rigorous compliance with major global regulations, including HIPAA in the U.S., and local data protection laws across all regions we serve.
• Robust Clinical Validation: Our commitment extends beyond technical security. We actively engage with the healthcare community to ensure our tools are clinically validated, enhancing safety and compliance, rather than challenging it.

For clinicians, choosing Lyrebird Health means partnering with a company that views security as a continuous commitment, not a one-time achievement. It's the assurance that you can focus entirely on patient care, knowing the integrity and confidentiality of your data are in the safest hands.

Summary Checklist for Practice Leaders

Key questions to ask the vendor:

1. How long are raw audio files and transcripts retained?
2. Is clinician sign-off mandatory and auditable?
3. Can we track who, when, and which AI model version was used for a specific note?
4. What is the process for full data purge upon contract termination?
5. Is data ever used for external model training or sold to third parties?

Safe answer indicators:

1. Deleted automatically (e.g., within 24 hours) after confirmed note entry.
2. Yes, draft is clearly marked, and final note entry is a traceable clinician action.
3. Yes, all notes are linked to a specific user, timestamp, and model ID.
4. Defined, verifiable, and timely complete deletion of all PHI.
5. Absolutely not, under any circumstances.

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Next Steps for Your Practice

AI scribes are powerful tools, but they require a proactive approach to risk management. Use this checklist as the basis for your initial due diligence and contract negotiations. Ensure your practice develops clear internal usage policies outlining when and how the AI scribe should be used, and how clinicians must review and finalise the output.

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