Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Anescribe®, and how is it different from a traditional anesthesia EMR?
Anescribe® is an anesthesia EMR designed primarily for use on mobile phones and tablets. This frees anesthesia providers from shared keyboards, PCs hardwired to anesthesia machines, and a constant internet connection. A complete anesthetic can be charted on an iPhone, including electronic signatures, medically fluent speech-to-text, and vital-sign entry using simple finger drags. Completed anesthesia records can be downloaded as PDF documents to a computer in any HIPAA-compliant office.
Is there an anesthesia EMR designed specifically for independent anesthesiologists and small anesthesia practices?
Yes. Anescribe® was invented by an anesthesiologist in private practice specifically with independent anesthesia providers and small practices in mind. The initial version is designed for clinicians performing short ambulatory procedures such as pain management, GI, and gynecologic procedures. A dedicated regional anesthesia record is coming soon. Group accounts are also in development, including the ability to send completed records to a company library for billing and record management.
Can I complete an anesthesia record primarily from my iPhone instead of using a workstation or shared tablet?
Yes. Anescribe® allows an anesthesia record to be completed and signed entirely on an iPhone. Common conditions and statements are available as checkboxes, while more detailed documentation can be entered using medically fluent speech-to-text that works without an internet connection. Speak your notes, enter vital signs by dragging your finger across the screen, and electronically sign the record—all on your iPhone. The completed document retains the familiar appearance of a traditional anesthesia record rather than becoming a multipage chronological listing of events.
Can Anescribe® create and complete anesthesia records when internet access is unreliable or unavailable?
Yes. After importing your schedule—for example, by scanning a screen or paper OR schedule to create a stack of blank records with patient names and procedures—clinical documentation in Anescribe® can continue offline. This is particularly useful in operating rooms and procedure areas with unreliable Wi-Fi or cellular reception. An internet connection is needed later to ensure completed records are properly submitted to your library and shared at the end of the day.
How does Anescribe® handle anesthesia documentation, vital signs, procedures, medications, and signatures?
Anescribe® combines voice transcription, touch-based data entry, scanning, and electronic signatures in a mobile anesthesia record. Nearly all areas of documentation support voice transcription with medical and pharmaceutical vocabulary. Vital signs can be entered graphically with finger movements rather than typed individually. Documents such as medication lists, laboratory reports, and medical clearance notes can also be scanned directly into the patient record from multiple points in the workflow.
Can Anescribe® reduce the amount of typing required to complete an anesthesia record?
Yes. Anescribe® is specifically designed to minimize typing during anesthesia documentation. Common findings can be entered with a small number of checkboxes, while medically fluent speech-to-text allows more detailed histories and notes without typing with your thumbs or searching through long lists of choices. Vital signs use touch-based sliders rather than requiring numerical typing. Laboratory reports can also be scanned into the record, with an option to process and import laboratory values automatically.
Can Anescribe® help improve anesthesia documentation for billing and coding without interrupting the clinician’s workflow?
Yes. Anescribe® is designed to capture useful billing and coding information as part of routine anesthesia documentation rather than as a separate task. Diagnoses and procedures can be imported directly from an OR schedule with a simple scan and approximately 60 seconds of processing at the start of the day. Anescribe® can then narrow relevant diagnosis choices based on the procedure being performed, reducing unnecessary choices while preserving the clinician’s normal workflow.
How does Anescribe® protect patient information and support HIPAA-compliant anesthesia documentation?
Anescribe® is designed for end-to-end HIPAA-compliant anesthesia documentation. Functions including speech-to-text, document scanning, and vital-sign entry can occur locally on the device without an internet connection, reducing the amount of patient information that needs to be transmitted during routine documentation. When a feature requires internet-based processing of protected health information, Anescribe® uses service providers with executed Business Associate Agreements where required. Completed records can then be securely synchronized and accessed through the clinician’s Anescribe® library.
