How Data Retention Works in Scribe
Author => This article explains what happens to your consultations, transcripts, and audio recordings once your organisation's data retention policy takes effect.
Introduction
Depending on your healthcare organisation's data governance and security policies, your administrator may turn on automated data retention for your facility. This also applies to Scribe Mobile (iOS and Android).
When it's turned on, your organisation sets a number of days (for example, 7 or 30) after which specific consultation data is automatically and permanently deleted, so patient information isn't kept for longer than necessary. The countdown starts from when the encounter was created, not from when it was last edited or a document was regenerated.
Your organisation can apply retention separately to three parts of a consultation:
- the audio recording
- the transcript
- the entire encounter (audio, transcript, and all associated documents)
When the audio recording is deleted
When the transcript is deleted
When the entire encounter is deleted
FAQWhen the audio recording is deleted
The original audio recording is permanently deleted once it reaches the retention limit. The transcript, patient details, and all generated documents stay intact.
=> You can still view, edit, regenerate, and approve documents as normal. You can no longer listen back to the recording, resume or extend it, or dictate into a document for that encounter.
If you open an encounter whose audio has been deleted:
- The Resume button is greyed out. Tapping or hovering over it shows: "Audio was removed under your organisation's data retention policy, resuming is not possible."
- The dictation (microphone) control is greyed out. Tapping or hovering over it shows: "Audio was removed under your organisation's data retention policy, dictating is not possible."
- In the encounters list, the duration shows a dash (-) instead of the recording length.
When the transcript is deleted
The full transcript is permanently deleted once it reaches the retention limit. Documents already generated (e.g. clinic letters, SOAP notes) stay intact and can still be edited manually and approved.
=> Because T-Pro's AI drafting needs the transcript, you can no longer regenerate a document, add a new document type, dictate into a document, or add a context note for this encounter.
You can still read, manually edit, and approve any existing documents.
The edit-patient icon next to the patient's name is also hidden.
If you open the transcript panel for an encounter whose transcript has been deleted, it shows: "This transcript was removed under your organisation's data retention policy."
When the entire encounter is deleted
The entire encounter (audio, transcript, and all associated documents) is permanently removed from Scribe.
=> The encounter no longer appears in your encounters list, and none of its documents can be opened.
Any document that was already approved and synced to your organisation's EHR / patient record before deletion stays stored there.
NOTE: Retention in Scribe only clears working data inside Scribe itself.
What you'll see in Scribe
| Action in Scribe | If audio is deleted | If the transcript is deleted | If the encounter is deleted |
|---|---|---|---|
| View existing documents | Available | Available | Removed from Scribe |
| Manually edit document text | Available | Available | Removed from Scribe |
| Approve / send document | Available | Available | Removed from Scribe |
| Regenerate document | Available | Disabled | Removed from Scribe |
| Add new document type (+ tab) | Available | Disabled | Removed from Scribe |
| Dictate into a document (mic) | Disabled | Disabled | Removed from Scribe |
| Add a context note | Available | Disabled | Removed from Scribe |
| Resume recording | Disabled | Disabled | Removed from Scribe |
| Edit patient details (pencil icon) | Available | Hidden | Removed from Scribe |
| Duration shown in encounters list | Shows "-" | Shows audio duration | Removed |
Best practices
- Review and approve your documents as soon as possible after the consultation, so the finalised note syncs to the EHR / patient record right away.
- If you need more than one document type (e.g. a patient summary and a referral letter), generate them during or shortly after the encounter, while the transcript is still available.
- If you plan to resume or extend a recording later, keep your organisation's audio retention timeframe in mind. The countdown starts from the encounter's creation date, so it doesn't reset if you come back and edit it.
Frequently asked questions
If an encounter is deleted from Scribe, is the note also deleted from my organisation's EHR / patient record? No. Any document that was approved and exported to the EHR / patient record stays there permanently. Retention in Scribe only clears working data within Scribe itself.
Can Support or IT restore a deleted audio file or transcript? No. Deletions are permanent and can't be recovered.
Who sets the retention timeframes? Your organisation's authorised T-Pro System Administrator, in line with your institution's information governance policy.
Does this also apply to Scribe Mobile? Yes. Data retention works the same way in Scribe Mobile (iOS and Android) as it does in Scribe Web.
If you have any more queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Helpdesk or support@tpro.io.
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