Does it work with my EHR?
Yes. Epic, Cerner, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, MEDITECH, Practice Fusion — if your EHR runs in a web browser, ParrotPadMD works with it. No integrations, no IT involvement, no EHR vendor approval needed.
Can I use my own note template?
Yes. Six templates are built in: SOAP, clinical note, progress note, brief note, patient instructions and referral letter. In Template Studio you can write your own sections and instructions, or paste one of your past notes and it becomes a template. Set one as your default and generating a note is one tap.
How do I know a generated note is accurate?
Every section of a generated note carries its sources: click it and the transcript lines it was written from light up. Sections the visit never covered are marked as not discussed instead of being filled in. The note is a draft you sign, so read the sources; they show where the text came from, and make checking it fast.
Which languages can I dictate in?
English, Spanish (US, Mexico and Spain), Portuguese, French and German. Medical Mode, the model trained on clinical vocabulary, covers English, Spanish, French and German. Portuguese uses a general model. Voice commands work in all seven. Visit recordings detect the language automatically.
How does it compare to Dragon Medical One?
Dragon Medical One is a native Windows app. Microsoft's own documentation says it cannot be installed directly on a Mac; you need Citrix, a virtual machine, or a third-party product. Through resellers it runs about $99 a month on a one-year term plus a $525 onboarding fee per user, over $1,700 in the first year. ParrotPadMD is a Chrome extension for Mac, Windows or Chromebook: $20 a month for 300 minutes or $49 unlimited, no setup fee, and it includes the visit scribe, which Dragon sells separately as Dragon Copilot. Both use medical speech models.
How is this different from an AI scribe like Freed or Heidi?
Those products start from the recorded visit; dictation is an add-on or lives inside their own app. ParrotPadMD starts from dictation at the cursor in your EHR and includes the visit scribe on the same plan, from $20 a month, where individual scribe plans mostly run $50 to $150. The other difference is evidence. Every section of a ParrotPadMD note cites the transcript lines it came from. When we compared self-serve scribes in September 2026 (Freed, Heidi, Twofold, ScribeBerry, Tali and Nabla), none showed per-section citations; the products that do sell only to health systems. If you need dozens of languages or a direct Epic integration, those products are the better fit.
Is it really HIPAA compliant?
Yes. We have a signed Business Associate Agreement with every vendor that can touch PHI, and we offer a BAA to every user. Dictation audio is processed in memory and discarded, and text dictated into your EHR goes straight to your cursor and is never stored. Visit recordings are deleted as soon as the transcript exists. Transcripts, generated notes and the notes you write in the Scratchpad are stored encrypted in your account until you delete them, or for 30 or 90 days if you choose. Nothing is used to train models. SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure.
What medical specialties are supported?
All of them. Our medical speech model is trained on medications, diagnoses, procedures, and terminology across all specialties. During onboarding, you select your specialty for additional vocabulary boosting — cardiology, orthopedics, psychiatry, radiology, and more.
Do I need IT to install it?
No. It's a Chrome extension that installs in one click. No admin privileges, no software maintenance, no IT tickets. Perfect for independent practices or physicians frustrated with hospital IT delays.
Why does Chrome show "Proceed with caution" when installing?
This is a standard Chrome message for newer extensions that haven't yet built up usage history with Google's Enhanced Safe Browsing program. It's not a security warning about ParrotPadMD specifically. Our extension is HIPAA-compliant and uses encrypted connections. Dictation audio is processed in memory and discarded; text dictated into your EHR is never stored. Visit recordings are deleted after transcription. Visit transcripts, generated notes and Scratchpad notes are saved encrypted in your account until you delete them or your chosen retention period ends. Simply click "Continue to install" to proceed safely.
Do I need a special microphone?
No. ParrotPadMD works great with your laptop's built-in microphone — no Dragon-certified hardware required. Any USB headset or Bluetooth mic will work too.
Can I try it before I buy?
Absolutely. The free tier includes 15 minutes/month forever — enough to test it in your actual EHR workflow. No credit card required. Upgrade to Professional when you're ready for 300 minutes/month and specialty vocabulary packs, or to Unlimited to stop counting.
What about Safari?
The Chrome extension requires Chrome on a desktop computer for dictation into your EHR or other browser text fields. You can use the Scratchpad web app in Safari and other compatible browsers, including on phones and tablets, with no extension required. Write or dictate in the Scratchpad, then copy and paste into your EHR or another application.
Does it only work in EHRs?
No! ParrotPadMD works in any web-based text field — email, patient portals, telemedicine platforms, and more. For applications like Google Docs where direct text insertion isn't possible, your transcription appears in our built-in notepad for easy copy/paste.
What if Chrome extensions are blocked at my workplace?
We've got you covered! Our Scratchpad web app works in any browser — Safari, Firefox, Edge, even mobile. Install it as an app on your phone or desktop, dictate your notes, and copy/paste into Word, Epic, or any application. Same voice commands and macros, no extension required.
