How to choose an AI scribe.
Most AI scribes produce a reasonable note from a recorded visit. The differences that matter show up later: where the note lands, whose voice it is in, and what the tool does for the other 23 hours of the day.
Written by Dr. Tattvam A. Nair, Co-Founder & COO of Layrd. Updated August 2026.
1 · Where does the note land?
The note should appear inside your EMR, where you review and sign it. A note in a separate portal means someone copies it over, visit after visit, and the tool that was meant to remove a chore has added one.
2 · Whose style is it written in?
A template note reads like a template, and you will edit it every time. The better systems learn style from your own signed notes. The number to ask for is the edit rate: how much of the note physicians actually change before signing.
3 · What happens outside the visit?
A scribe covers the visit. Ask what happens to the chart review before it, the fax queue during it, and the coding after it. If the answer is nothing, those hours remain yours, and they are the larger share of the administrative day.
4 · How does the price scale?
Per-visit fees grow with your volume and make busy months expensive months. A flat rate per clinician stays the same number on every invoice, which is the shape a practice can plan around.
5 · How do you leave?
Ask the contract question before the integration question. A tool confident in its work offers a real trial and no lock-in. Layrd's answer: the first 4 weeks free, no commitment, cancel anytime.
What to ask on any demo
Show me the note inside my EMR. Show me a note in my style, not a sample. What is your measured edit rate? What happens to my fax queue? What does the price look like at twice my volume? What is the contract term? A vendor with good answers will enjoy the questions.
What is the most important thing to check in an AI scribe demo?
Where the note lands. A note that appears inside your EMR, where you sign it, removes work. A note in a separate portal that someone copies over adds a step to every single visit.
How do I judge note quality across scribes?
Ask for a note in your style, not a sample template, and count the edits you would make. Edit time is the real metric. A beautiful note you rewrite is slower than a plain note you sign.
What should the pricing look like?
Predictable. Per-visit and per-note fees grow with your volume and punish busy days. A flat rate per clinician is the shape that stays plannable as the practice grows.
How does Layrd handle the trial and the contract?
The first 4 weeks are free with no commitment, the rate is a flat monthly fee per clinician, and you can cancel anytime. Setup is free and practices go live in under a week.
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