A Physical Therapy Clinic Owner Built an AI Scribe for About $0.11 a Session
An outpatient PT clinic owner used OpenAI Codex to build a Python AI scribe in about 5 hours that transcribes a session and writes a SOAP note in the clinic's own style, at about $0.11 per one-hour session.
Who this is about: Outpatient physical therapy clinic (neurorehab)
What it takes
- Cost
- PaidPay-as-you-go OpenAI API usage: about $0.11 per one-hour session, by the owner's figures.
- Setup time
- An afternoonOur estimate from the source, for one business.
- Skill needed
- Developer skillsYou build or run your own code, even if AI writes it.
Explain it simply
After a therapy session, writing the medical note takes a lot of time. The clinic owner built a small computer program that listens to the session, turns the speech into text, and drafts a structured note in the format therapists already use. He can tweak the format to match how he thinks, instead of buying a rigid off-the-shelf scribe.
What was done
Commercial AI scribes looked expensive, rigid and more than an outpatient PT clinic needed, so the owner built one. The Python tool transcribes a full PT session and generates a structured SOAP note, and the format can be customized to match the clinician's reasoning style. Running everything locally on a 16GB Mac Mini was also tested to avoid sending any data outside.
How it went
A one-hour session cost about $0.11 for transcription and note generation, compared with subscription scribes the owner says cost from $30 to hundreds of dollars per therapist per month. The first version took about 5 hours to build.
- Limits: the local setup was slower and less accurate at both transcription and clinical notes, so the owner went with the API. OpenAI offers ways to support HIPAA (such as a BAA and secure API use), but only when it's set up properly. That setup is the clinic's responsibility, and notes still need clinician review.
- The post says basic programming skills help. No time-saved figure is given.
Prompt
Pipeline: audio recording -> transcription API -> note-generation API -> SOAP note.
"From this PT session transcript, write a SOAP note.
S: patient-reported symptoms and goals, in their words where possible.
O: measurements, tests and interventions performed.
A: clinical reasoning (neurorehab / movement-science framing).
P: plan, frequency and home exercise program.
Only use information in the transcript; write 'not documented' if missing."
Before any patient data: sign a BAA, use HIPAA-eligible API settings, and keep
clinician review on every note.Our prompt; the post doesn't include one. Set up compliance before using any patient data.
Business fit
Who this helps, and how:
Medical and health professional business owners: price out a pay-per-use scribe against per-seat subscriptions, and get the BAA and compliance setup in place first.
Local & serviceIndependent contractors (barbers, bartenders, consultants): record a client session (with consent) and get structured notes in your own format.
AgenciesAgencies and freelancers: turn recorded client calls into a standard meeting summary for a few cents each.
AgenciesMechanics and tradespeople: dictate a job walkthrough and get a structured job report.
Local & service
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Similar tools
Other tools for this job, and how they differ. Chosen by our editors, never paid for.
- Nuance DAX
Established clinical ambient scribe used in larger healthcare settings.
- Heidi Health
AI medical scribe aimed at clinicians who want structured notes with less DIY engineering.
- Nabla
Another ambient clinical scribe option if you prefer a product over a custom OpenAI script.
“Light evidence” (grade D) means: A brief, early or in-progress claim. Treat it as an idea to test, not proof. How we grade. Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction.