What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have Otter.ai set up on your phone to record and transcribe 2-minute verbal summaries after each patient visit. Instead of spending 30–60 minutes per visit typing notes from memory at home, you'll dictate observations in your car immediately after each visit and have a searchable transcript ready to paste and edit in your EHR.
What you'll need
- Smartphone (iPhone or Android)
- Otter.ai app (free tier is sufficient to start — gives 300 minutes/month)
- Time needed: 30 minutes initial setup; 2-3 minutes per visit after that
- Cost: Free (300 min/month) or ~$10-17/month for more capacity
How-To Guide: Transcribe Post-Visit Notes with Voice Dictation
Step 1: Download and create your Otter.ai account
Open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) and search for "Otter.ai." Download and install the app. Open it and tap Sign up — you can use a Google or Apple account, or create one with your work email. Do NOT use your personal email if your agency has HIPAA guidance about cloud services.
What you should see: A clean home screen with a large blue microphone button at the bottom. Troubleshooting: If you can't find Otter.ai, search for "otter voice notes" — the developer name is Otter.ai.