Doctor’s appointments
Hear what the doctor said, again.
Appointments are short, and it's hard to take everything in, especially when the news is difficult. With your doctor's agreement, Quern records the conversation and writes it down on your iPhone, so you can go over it at home or share it with someone who couldn't be there.
Always ask your doctor before you record.
Free for 30 days, then £19.99 once. No subscription. Requires iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Ask first.
It takes one sentence at the start of the appointment, and doctors are encouraged to say yes. It also keeps the conversation as open as it would have been without the phone on the table.
What you might say
Would you mind if I record this, so I can listen again later? It stays on my phone, it's only for me and my family, and nothing is uploaded.
What the guidance says
The British Medical Association says patients should seek the doctor's agreement before recording: doctors have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and asking is a matter of courtesy. It also encourages doctors to say yes, and notes that allowing a recording can be a reasonable adjustment for someone who struggles to remember or understand.
Never record in waiting rooms or corridors, where other patients can be heard. Outside the UK, check the law where you are.
Back at home.
Everything from the appointment, in the order it was said, with the parts you need easy to find.
- Every word
- The whole conversation written down, with you and the doctor labelled. Tap any word to hear it again.
- The dates and numbers
- The summary picks out figures and dates, such as when to book a test, each with the time it was said.
- What happens next
- Actions with who is doing them: what you need to book, and what the surgery said it would send.
- For the family
- Share the summary as a PDF with someone who helps you, or play them the part that matters.
A record, not advice.
- Quern isn't a medical device, and it doesn't interpret anything the doctor says.
- Speech recognition gets medicine names, doses and numbers wrong. Listen to the recording, and check anything you'll act on with your doctor or pharmacist.
- It all stays on your iPhone: no server, no account. Health conversations are private, so keep a passcode on the phone, and think about whether you want recordings in your iCloud backup.
Questions
Anything else: support, or [email protected]
Do I need the doctor’s permission?
Yes: ask, every time. The British Medical Association says patients should seek the doctor's agreement, and it encourages doctors to give it, especially when a patient may find it hard to remember what was said. Quern is made for recording openly, with the doctor knowing.
What if the doctor says no?
Respect it, and write notes instead. You could ask whether they would write down the main points, or send a letter afterwards.
Can I record a phone or video appointment?
Ask in the same way. Quern records through the iPhone's microphone, so put the call on speaker and it hears both of you. It can't record a call directly.
Can I share the recording with my family?
Sharing it with the people helping you look after yourself is what many patients want it for. Keep it to them: putting a recording online is a different matter, and it takes the doctor out of a private conversation.
Can I trust what the transcript says?
Not blindly. Medicine names, doses and numbers are exactly what speech recognition gets wrong, and summaries can be wrong too. Listen to that part of the recording, and check anything you'll act on with your doctor or pharmacist.
Who else can see it?
Nobody, unless you share it. Quern has no server and no account. Recordings are in your iPhone's iCloud or computer backup if those are on, like the rest of your data, and deleting a recording in Quern removes it from the iPhone.
Free for 30 days.
Then £19.99, once.
Out 19 October on the App Store
- First 30 days
- Free, everything works
- Then
- £19.99, once
- Subscription
- None
- Family Sharing
- Included
- If you don't unlock it
- Your recordings stay yours to play, read and export