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Medical Transcription and Privacy: Why Local AI Matters

Healthcare professionals need HIPAA-conscious transcription. Learn why local AI processing is essential for medical dictation.

K
November 19, 20255 min read

Healthcare data requires the highest privacy standards. Cloud transcription services create HIPAA compliance risks that local processing eliminates.

The HIPAA Challenge

Protected Health Information (PHI) in patient notes, dictated reports, and clinical documentation must remain secure. Cloud services introduce:

  • Data transmission across networks
  • Storage on third-party servers
  • Potential access by service employees
  • Complex BAA requirements

Local Processing Advantages

  • No PHI transmission: Audio never leaves the device
  • No third-party storage: Everything stays local
  • Simpler compliance: Fewer parties involved
  • Works offline: No network vulnerabilities

Medical Vocabulary

Medical terminology is complex. Custom dictionaries are essential for:

  • Drug names and dosages
  • Anatomical terms
  • Diagnostic codes (ICD-10)
  • Procedure terminology (CPT)

Disclaimer

While local processing improves privacy, consult your compliance officer about specific HIPAA requirements for your organization.

Local-Only Processing

Sotto processes audio entirely on your Mac. No cloud uploads. $29 one-time.

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K

About Kitze

Creator of Sotto and indie developer building tools for productivity. Passionate about local AI and privacy-first software.

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