Four ways to get progress notes done — typing them yourself, a general AI chatbot, other clinical platforms, or NotedTherapy. Here is an honest look at what actually matters for a licensed practice.
| What to check | Typing it yourself | General AI chatbot | Other AI note platforms | NotedTherapy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Associate Agreement (HIPAA) | N/A | No | Usually | Yes — signed at sign-up |
| Session audio stored? | No | Varies / often yes | Can be retained for 30 days or longer | Never written to disk |
| Clinical formats (SOAP, DAP, BIRP) | Manual | Only if you prompt | Usually built in | Built in + custom templates |
| Writes in your clinical voice | Yes | Generic | Often a fixed house style | Matches your style |
| Referral & insurance letters | Manual | Generic | Sometimes | Built in |
| Group session fan-out (one note per member) | Manual | No | Rare | Built in |
| Per-account encryption keys | N/A | No | Varies | Yes — AES-256-GCM |
| Two-factor authentication | N/A | Varies | Sometimes | Yes, with backup codes |
| Note limits | Unlimited | Message/usage caps | Often tiered or capped | Unlimited |
| Typical monthly cost | Your time | ~$20/mo (not for PHI) | Often $50–$150+/mo | From $39/mo, unlimited |
| Typical time per note | 10–15 min | 5–10 min | 1–3 min | About 1 min to draft |
If you only write the occasional note, typing works. If you value raw speed and never touch client information, a general chatbot can draft generic text — but it is not a lawful home for PHI. For a working clinical practice, a purpose-built, HIPAA-aligned tool is the only option that is both fast and compliant. NotedTherapy was built for exactly that: a BAA at sign-up, zero audio retention, per-account encryption, recognised note formats plus custom templates, and drafts written in your own clinical voice.
The best tool for a licensed practice is a purpose-built one that signs a Business Associate Agreement, encrypts PHI at rest with per-account keys, and never stores session audio. A general chatbot like ChatGPT is not designed or contracted for protected health information. NotedTherapy signs a BAA at sign-up, uses AES-256-GCM per-account encryption, and writes no audio to disk.
You can use it to draft generic text, but not with real client information: a general consumer chatbot will not sign a BAA, so putting protected health information into it is not HIPAA compliant. A purpose-built, BAA-covered tool is the only option that is both fast and lawful for PHI.
General chatbots run around $20/month but are not built for PHI. Purpose-built clinical tools often cost $50–$150+ per month, sometimes billed per note. NotedTherapy is unlimited notes from $39/month after a 7-day free trial with no credit card.
It varies. Many store audio for a period; some general tools may retain it indefinitely. The safest design keeps audio only in transient memory, transcribes once, then discards it — which is how NotedTherapy works, so there is no recording archive to leak.
A good clinical tool supports SOAP, DAP and BIRP at minimum. NotedTherapy also supports GIRP, intake assessments, treatment plans, couples and group notes, plus any custom section layout you build.