You can record a doctor visit with your phone, a voice recorder or an app made for visits. Before you start, tell everyone in the room what the recording is for and whether an app will process it, and wait for a clear yes from each person. At an IVF visit you may hear about a new dose and the date of your next scan in a few minutes. A recording lets you check those details later.
Why record a doctor visit?
It can be hard to remember the details once the visit ends. Even when you are comfortable with your doctor, you may not understand everything the first time.
A recording lets you listen again later. It also helps if you want to share the details of the visit with your partner or family.
A 2014 review of 33 studies looked at patients who were given recordings of their visits. On average, 72% of them listened to the recordings, and in 60% of the studies patients shared them with others. The review found that recordings helped patients remember and understand what was said, and that patients valued having them.
Can I record my doctor visit?
Ask first. U.S. government health advice suggests bringing a recorder and recording what is said, with the doctor's permission. Asking at the start also lets the team tell you about any clinic policy before you begin.
Recording laws are set by each state, and they differ. In some states, everyone who is recorded must agree. This page is not legal advice, and it cannot cover every situation. If you have a legal question, ask a lawyer.
A practical approach works in any state:
- Explain the recording. Say why you want it, and say if an app will turn it into a transcript and summary using AI.
- Get a yes from everyone in the room, not only the doctor. A nurse, a student or an interpreter counts too.
- Follow your clinic's policy, even if it is stricter than the law.
- Pause when the room changes. If someone new comes in, stop the recording and ask them before you go on. If anyone changes their mind, stop and talk about it.
Some things to say when you ask:
- "Is it okay if I record this so I can listen again later?"
- "I use an app that makes a written transcript and a summary. Is that okay?"
- "Does the clinic have a policy about recordings?"
If the answer is no, you can still take notes or bring someone to take them for you.
Phone calls and video visits raise their own questions. This page covers visits in the room. Ask your clinic before you record any other kind of visit.
How to keep track of a visit without an app
You do not need an app to leave with good notes.
Write down your questions first. Put the most important ones at the top, and pick three or four to start with.
Take notes. Write the main points, or ask the doctor to write them down. If you cannot write while the doctor talks, write in the waiting room right after.
Bring a support person. A friend or family member can remind you of your questions and take notes. Tell them ahead of time how they can help. You can still ask for time alone with the doctor.
Check that you understood. Say the answer back in your own words and ask, "Is this correct?"
Ask for written instructions, or brochures, videos or websites.
Call if you are unsure later. If an instruction is unclear once you get home, call the office.
A paper visit notes page
Copy this table into a notebook before your visit.
| My question | What the doctor said | What I need to do | By when |
|---|---|---|---|
For IVF visits, our monitoring visit checklist has a table for writing down plan changes, and our consultation questions can fill your first column.
IVF visits worth extra care
- Your first consultation. You hear about tests, the treatment plan, cost and next steps all at once.
- Any visit where your plan changes. A new medicine, dose or date is easy to mix up later.
- Results talks. News about eggs, embryos or a pregnancy test can make it hard to listen closely.
- A follow-up after a cycle that did not work. Our questions to ask after failed IVF can help you get ready.
For these visits, plan for a support person or a recording, and for a few minutes afterward to write down what you heard.
How Tulsee's visit tools work
Tulsee is an iPhone app for people going through IVF. Here is what it does around a visit.
Before the visit. The app helps you prepare questions, so you walk in with a short list.
Before recording. The app asks you to confirm that you told everyone present and got their permission. If anyone would rather not, you can continue without recording.
During the visit. You see live captions of what is being said.
After the visit. The app transcribes the visit and gives you a recap of what was said. A summary can contain mistakes. Check anything important with your clinic, especially doses, dates and times.
When your plan changes. The app shows you what changed, and your schedule updates only after you confirm. Confirming a change means you checked that the app read it the way you heard it. It does not prove the change is medically correct. If a dose is unclear, or the change clashes with other instructions, call your clinic before you confirm.
Open the visit screen in Tulsee
What happens to a recording
These points come from Tulsee's privacy policy and its page on health data and AI:
- Recording is optional.
- Recordings are used to make transcripts, notes, follow-up questions, visit summaries and proposed changes to your plan.
- AI processing runs on Amazon Bedrock, a service from Amazon Web Services. Tulsee does not use your identifiable health information to train general-purpose AI models.
- Tulsee uses service providers to run the app, which may include transcription and storage providers.
- Tulsee does not sell your identifiable health information.
- Your information is stored securely.
- You can review and delete recordings and related content in the app or by contacting Tulsee. Deletion from all storage systems follows Tulsee's deletion procedures and retention requirements.
What Tulsee does not do
The app does not give medical advice. It does not decide doses or change your treatment on its own.
Your clinic's instructions always come first. If a summary and your clinic's words seem to differ, call your clinic and ask.
The app is for people 18 and older and runs on iPhone only. It is in beta through Apple's TestFlight and is free during the beta.
Key takeaway
Explain the recording, get a yes from everyone in the room, and follow your clinic's policy. Pause if someone new comes in or changes their mind. Without a recording, write down your questions, take notes or bring a support person, and call the office if an instruction is unclear.