Transient Notes - temporary capture on purpose.
A fast workflow for temporary documentation, with strict deletion timelines and explicit conversion to permanent charting when needed.
What transient notes are
Transient notes let clinicians capture and edit a temporary draft without immediately entering full patient chart workflow. They are designed for short-lived capture and quick collaboration, not long-term retention.
They are useful when you need to capture thinking in motion, gather details during interruptions, or share a short-lived view with a colleague for rapid coordination.
Transient notes are also a good way to try Scribe Mutual without entering any patient information. If you're evaluating the app or running a trial, you can use transient notes to test the dictation, editing, and AI features without creating real patient records.
How it works
- Create a transient note the same way you would a regular note — write or dictate as usual, just without entering patient information.
- Optionally generate a share link or QR code so a colleague can view the note for a limited time.
- When the content should become a lasting part of a patient's chart, convert it to a permanent note by entering the patient's information and saving it to their record.
- If not converted, the transient note is automatically deleted after 12 hours by default.
Important limitations
- Transient notes are automatically deleted after 12 hours by default. Once deleted, they cannot be recovered.
- Share links expire on the same schedule. When a share link expires, the recipient can no longer view the note.
- Transient notes are not part of the permanent medical record. To keep a transient note, you must convert it to a permanent note by entering the patient's information and saving it to their chart before the 12-hour window closes.
Convert to permanent note
When a transient note should be retained, clinicians can convert it to a permanent note by selecting an existing patient or creating a new patient profile, then saving it to that patient's chart. The resulting draft is then reviewed, edited, and finalized through the normal note workflow.
This is always a deliberate step. A transient note will never automatically become part of a patient's chart — you choose when and whether to save it.
Typical use cases
- Rapid temporary capture during active clinic flow.
- Teaching and mentoring scenarios where content should not enter a chart unless explicitly retained.
- Time-limited sharing for quick second opinions.
- Working drafts before deciding whether chart persistence is appropriate.