Best Practices for Seranote
To achieve the highest accuracy with Seranote, follow these simple best practices.
Environment & Setup
Section titled “Environment & Setup”Microphone Placement
Section titled “Microphone Placement”- Optimal Distance: Place your phone or microphone within 1 metre (3 feet) of both speakers.
- Position: Place it on the desk between you and the patient, avoiding obstructions (like paper stacks or open laptops blocking the path).
- Surface: A hard surface (desk) is better than a soft one (couch) as it reflects sound towards the microphone.
Minimize Noise
Section titled “Minimize Noise”- Close windows if there is traffic noise.
- Avoid shuffling papers directly next to the microphone.
- Ask patients to speak clearly if they are mumbling.
Speaking Habits
Section titled “Speaking Habits”Be Natural but Clear
Section titled “Be Natural but Clear”Speak as you normally would during a consultation. You do not need to speak like a robot. However, slightly clearer enunciation helps the AI transcribe difficult terms correctly.
Use Structure Verbally
Section titled “Use Structure Verbally”Seranote is smart enough to infer structure, but explicit verbal cues make it foolproof.
- “Let’s move on to the examination.” (Signals start of Objective section)
- “My assessment is that you have…” (Signals start of Assessment)
- “Here is the plan for the next few weeks…” (Signals start of Plan)
Summarize Key Points
Section titled “Summarize Key Points”If a patient gives a long, rambling history, it can be helpful to briefly summarize it back to them. “So, just to confirm: You’ve had this pain for 3 weeks, it’s worse in the morning, and ibuprofen hasn’t helped. Is that correct?” This ensures the AI captures a concise, confirmed version of the history.
Managing the Consultation
Section titled “Managing the Consultation”Consent
Section titled “Consent”Always inform the patient that you are using an AI assistant to take notes so you can focus on them instead of typing. Most patients appreciate the improved eye contact.
Handling Interruptions
Section titled “Handling Interruptions”If you are interrupted (e.g., a phone call), you can Pause the recording in Seranote and Resume when you are ready. This prevents unrelated conversation from ending up in the clinical note.
Review Before Saving
Section titled “Review Before Saving”AI is a tool to assist you, not replace your clinical judgment. Always review the generated note for accuracy, especially regarding:
- Medication dosages
- Laterality (Left vs. Right)
- Critical exclusion criteria (e.g., “No allergies” vs “No known allergies”)