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What are AI SOAP Notes? Pros, Cons, Tools & Best Practices

on May 6, 2025

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9 min read

TLDR

AI SOAP notes turn spoken conversation into the classic Subjective • Objective • Assessment • Plan format automatically, no more nightly chart‑catch‑up.
Clinicians who adopt them report saving 6–10 minutes per visit and feeling noticeably less burnt out.
Setup is usually as simple as signing in, connecting your EHR, and letting the AI listen while you work.
The tech isn’t magic, you’ll still review and sign every note, but it does 90 % of the heavy lifting.
Choosing the right tool comes down to specialty fit, EHR integration, pricing, and data‑security pedigree.

So… What Exactly Is an AI SOAP Note?

If you’re new to the idea, think of an AI SOAP note as a super‑charged digital scribe. While you talk with your patient or client, an app records the encounter, converts speech to text, and then uses a large‑language model (LLM) to slot everything into the familiar SOAP headings:

Section	Content
Subjective	What the patient/client says about their symptoms, lifestyle, mood, etc
Objective	Vital signs, test results, your observed findings (e.g., affect, ROM)
Assessment	Your clinical reasoning and diagnoses.
Plan	Next steps—meds, therapy goals, follow‑up, referrals.

How Is This Different From Dictation?

Dictation still requires you to say the whole note or type corrections afterward. AI SOAP tools listen passively, summarize automatically, and learn your phrasing over time. It’s the difference between doing laundry yourself and having it picked up, washed, folded, and returned.

Dimension	Traditional SOAP notes	AI SOAP notes
Creation method	Manual typing or dictation	Speech-to-text + LLM summarization
Average time per note	7–10 min (primary care); up to 15 min (therapy)	1–2 min post-visit review
Accuracy & consistency	Depends on individual; error-prone when fatigued	Model-level consistency; ±3-5 pp error range in current studies
Integration with EHR	Often copy-paste	API or FHIR push
Impact on burnout	Neutral or negative	30–40 % drop in self-reported burnout after six weeks

Benefits of AI-Generated SOAP Notes in Healthcare

1. Automated Note Generation

Sophisticated LLMs listen during the visit, classify speech by speaker and relevance, and output a complete note—including vital signs, present illness narrative, and measurable and observable data—within seconds.

2. Integration With Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Smart APIs push subjective and objective findings directly into discrete EHR fields, reducing redundant clicks and ensuring each [SOAP note](https://www.trytwofold.com/blog/soap‑notes) lives where billing and quality workflows expect it.

3.Customization & Learning Capabilities

Modern systems adapt to specialty‑specific terminology (e.g., GAD‑7 or PHQ‑9 scores for mental health professionals) and learn an individual provider’s templating preferences.

4. Improved Accuracy & Consistency

A 2024 JMIR study found GPT‑4–generated SOAP notes scored “good” or better 67 % of the time.

5. Reduced Burnout & Increased Efficiency

Ambient AI scribes slash after‑hours documentation time (“pajama notes”) by up to 30% and lower Emotional Exhaustion scores across specialties.

6. Enhanced Collaboration & Communication

Because AI SOAP notes are consistent, interdisciplinary teams can quickly scan the note, extract subjective and objective information, and act—improving hand‑offs and reducing communication errors.

Real‑world stat: In early user surveys, Twofold clinicians cut documentation time 35 % in the first month.

How to Get Started With AI SOAP Notes

Integration With Existing Systems

Assess your EHR’s FHIR/HL7 capabilities.
Choose “overlay” versus “in-EHR” approaches. Overlay tools such as Twofold AI Scribe run in any browser or mobile, while embedded modules require vendor marketplaces.
Map discrete data fields such as vital signs to the EHR to unlock downstream analytics.

Training & Onboarding for Clinicians

Kick off with a 30-minute live demo.
Provide role-based tip-sheets that highlight where the AI populates subjective and objective findings.
Encourage a two-week shadow phase where clinicians compare AI outputs to their existing SOAP notes.

Continuous Monitoring & Feedback

Establish dashboards for note completeness and editing time.
Collect clinician feedback weekly during the first month.
Tune prompts/models when accuracy falls below 95 % or physicians spend >3 min per note.

Best AI Tools for SOAP Note Generation

Shopping for a digital side‑kick? Here’s a lightning‑round look at the top AI scribe platforms and why they might be a perfect fit for your workflow.

1. Twofold

Twofold is a real‑time AI medical scribe that adapts to each clinician’s style, making documentation faster and more accurate. It integrates with EHR systems and ensures the high level of accuracy, security and customization.

Key Features

99% transcription accuracy with minimal need for manual correction
AI-driven CPT/ICD-10 coding suggestions
Specialty-based note templates
Option to create your own templates
Automated patient progress tracking capabilities
Multi-language support: 25+ languages including English, French, and Spanish
HIPAA-compliant with enterprise-grade security
Built-in analytics and reporting features

Pricing

Free plan with 20 notes/month.
$49/month unlimited access and usage.
Group plans with volume discounts and premium offerings.

Twofold platform displaying a consultation note on depression and lack of motivation. The interface includes patient notes, a subjective section, and options like Magic Edit, Copy All, and Save Changes.

2. Athelas Scribe

Athelas Scribe is a real-time transcription tool built to handle multi‑speaker environments, various accents, and background noise. It includes automated medical coding recommendations, making it a good fit for high‑volume practices.

Key Features

99.4% transcription accuracy
Multi-speaker recognition for extended conversations
Generates SOAP notes, progress notes, and medical forms
AI-driven CPT/ICD-10 coding suggestions
HIPAA, SOC2, and HITRUST compliant
Customizable formatting and templates

Pricing

Free plan with 10 scribes
Paid plans start at $149 per month

Athelas scribe showing a new recording setup. Users can enter a patient name, select a SOAP template, choose session type (In-Person or Virtual), and start recording.

3. Nuance Dragon Medical One

Highlights:

Leading-edge speech recognition.
Specialized medical vocabulary.
Enterprise-level data security.

Standout Features:

Real-time accurate transcription.
Customizable medical terminology library.
Deep integrations with enterprise EHRs.

Ideal for: Hospitals and larger healthcare organizations.

4. DeepScribe

Benefits:

Captures conversational context effortlessly.
Automatically summarizes and updates patient records.
Reduces clinician burnout significantly.

Top Features:

Conversational voice-to-text technology.
Minimal post-editing required.
Ideal for primary care documentation.

Key Components of AI SOAP-Note Solutions

Pop the hood with us, here’s what makes these engines purr.

Advanced Language Understanding with AI
Transformer-based models segment dialogue and classify it into SOAP sections in real time.
Tailored Solutions for Different Medical Fields
Mental health professionals need nuanced subjective data (affect, mood); orthopedists need physical examination findings like ROM metrics.
Instant Data Analysis and Processing
Embedded analytics flag gaps (e.g., missing present illness chronology) and recommend codes automatically.
Compliance With HIPAA and Industry Standards
Encryption in transit & at rest, Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), and audit logging are table stakes.

Pros & Cons of Using AI SOAP Notes

Let’s call it like it is: no silver bullets, just solid wins and a few trade‑offs.

	Pros	Cons
Time efficiency	Saves 6–8 min per visit on average	Initial setup costs: Year-one ROI depends on visit volume
Enhanced accuracy	Captures more measurable and observable data than manual typing	Learning curve: Providers need ~2 weeks to trust the output
Consistency	Aligns documentation with payer guidelines, improving medical documentation quality	Potential technical issues: Downtime or transcription errors require fallback workflows

Best Practices for Implementing AI SOAP Notes

Ensuring Data Security & Patient Privacy

Host on HITRUST-certified clouds.
Use patient consent banners when ambient listening.
Rotate encryption keys quarterly.

Regular Training & Updates for Staff

Quarterly in-service covering new ICD-10 mappings.
Monthly tip-sheet on optimizing subjective and objective information capture.

Continuous Evaluation & Quality Improvement

Monitor KPIs: note completion lag, progress notes accuracy, average clicks saved, and burnout survey scores.

AI SOAP Notes Use Cases in Healthcare

Curious where this tech really shines? Peek at these day‑to‑day success stories.

Specialty	Example Use Case	AI Outcome
Primary Care	Annual wellness visit	Auto-populated preventive-care reminders
Mental Health	50-min psychotherapy session	Captures nuanced mood descriptors & recommends DSM-5 codes
Orthopedics	Post-op follow-up	Inserts operative approach, implant details, and physical exam findings
Telehealth	Multi-state urgent care	Generates compliant interstate SOAP notes with correct time-zone stamps
Value-Based Care	Chronic disease management	Flags missing vital signs - e.g., BP, BMI - and pushes them to quality dashboards

AI SOAP Notes Compliance & Security

Quick reality check: compliance might feel boring, but it’s your ticket to stress‑free charting.

HIPAA & HITECH: Ensure end-to-end encryption and signed BAA.
GDPR (for global clinics): Offer data-processing agreements and right-to-erasure workflows.
Audit Trails: Every edit to the SOAP note must be version-controlled.
Model Governance: Retain prompt & response logs for 6 years, mirroring other medical documentation retention rules.

How Twofold Supercharges AI SOAP-Note Generation

Sneak peek: here’s how we turn raw conversation into crystal‑clear clinical notes in seconds.

Smart ICD-10 “Recapture” & HCC Nudges Twofold spots chronic conditions that didn’t get coded (think COPD, diabetes) and floats a one-click suggestion before you sign—no more missed risk-adjustment revenue.
True Plug-and-Play Onboarding Spin up your account, drop the browser extension, and you’re charting in under 10 minutes—no IT ticket, no waiting for an EHR marketplace listing. Check out our out-of the box SOAP note template.
Every-EHR Overlay Our overlay grabs subjective and objective snippets even inside the most locked-down EHR screens, so you keep your workflow while we handle the paperwork.
Adaptive Language Learning The model remembers your style (“Pt denies CP”) and mirrors it next visit, tightening consistency across progress notes and cutting edits to a minimum.

Conclusion

AI SOAP notes aren’t just a trendy gadget; they’re a practical way to claw back hours, create crystal‑clear documentation, and put your focus back where it belongs—on your patients. Start small, track your gains, and adjust as you go. Within a couple of weeks, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.

Ready to try it risk‑free? Grab a Twofold trial and let your next patient visit write itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Eli Neimark

Licensed Medical Doctor

Dr. Eli Neimark is an ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract, glaucoma, and retinal surgery. He is an Ophthalmology Resident at Wolfson University Medical Center and a Comprehensive Ophthalmologist at Clalit Health Services. A graduate of Ben‑Gurion University, he has contributed to multiple peer‑reviewed studies and international conferences. His work spans clinical practice, research, and medical education, with a focus on advancing ophthalmic care.

What are AI SOAP Notes? Pros, Cons, Tools & Best Practices

TLDR