PIPEDA-compliant AI scribe — what to verify
Searching for a PIPEDA-compliant AI scribe is reasonable — but compliance is contextual. A vendor’s marketing badge does not replace your clinic Privacy Impact Assessment, custodianship analysis, and written answers on Canadian hosting, retention, subprocessors, and model training. This guide lists what to request and how we score public trust documentation on the hub.
Federal vs provincial health privacy
PIPEDA governs many private-sector flows, but physicians documenting in EMRs often operate under provincial health-information statutes. Examples: Ontario PHIPA, British Columbia PIPA, Alberta HIA, Quebec Law 25 (and TGV expectations for Quebec vendors such as CareWay). Your privacy officer should map whether the scribe vendor is an agent, service provider, or custodian in your workflow.
Verification checklist (request in writing)
- Canadian data residency in contract for Canadian patients (not FAQ alone)
- Audio/transcript retention, auto-deletion, and clinician-configurable policies
- Explicit opt-out of using PHI to train general-purpose models
- Subprocessors disclosed (hyperscaler + foundation-model vendors with regions)
- Published BAA/DPA or healthcare data processing agreement where applicable
- Breach notification timelines and audit logging
- Linkable PIA PDF or trust-centre assessment your clinic can attach to its file
- SOC 2 Type II or equivalent third-party audit summary
Procurement walkthrough: how to choose an AI scribe in Canada.
Matrix rows we track on each vendor
The hub documents six privacy-detail cells per vendor: Canada residency, retention policy, audio retained, published BAA/DPA, subprocessor list, and PIA availability — plus the CHI feature matrix data-residency row. Open any vendor dossier for matrix highlights and linked sources.
Vendors with strongest public trust documentation
Sorted by Trust pillar score. Open each dossier for linked PIAs and security pages.
| # | Vendor | Overall | Integr. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scribeberry | 92.8 | 92 |
| 2 | Empathia AI | 85.8 | 100 |
| 3 | Tali AI | 84.7 | 67 |
| 4 | Autochart.ai (Aya Health) | 77.6 | 50 |
| 5 | Mika AI (Mikata Health) | 74.2 | 33 |
FAQ
- Is PIPEDA enough when choosing an AI scribe in Canada?
- No. Federal PIPEDA is a baseline; provincial health-information statutes (PHIPA, PIPA, PHIA, Quebec Law 25, etc.) and your clinic's privacy obligations may impose stricter rules. Require linkable PIAs and written residency/retention answers.
- What documents should I request from a vendor?
- Privacy Impact Assessment or equivalent, trust/security page, SOC 2 or ISO reports, subprocessor list, data processing agreements, and explicit Canadian residency for Canadian patients.
- Does this hub certify PIPEDA compliance?
- No. We link verified public documents and score trust/compliance pillar transparency. Your privacy officer must sign off.
- Should raw audio be stored?
- Policies differ: some vendors stream audio without retention; others keep audio 48 hours to 30 days by default. Match retention to your clinic policy and document it in the PIA.
- Where can I compare vendors on privacy rows?
- Each vendor dossier includes Privacy & retention (documented) matrix highlights plus CHI data-residency rows. Filter the hub capability matrix Privacy categories.
Related guides
- How to choose an AI scribe in Canada
Step-by-step procurement checklist: Infoway eligibility, EMR fit, privacy artifacts, clinical evidence, pricing, and pilot questions.
- Infoway AI Scribe Program
All nine pre-qualified vendors, one-vendor enrollment rule, Manitoba Accuro designation, French registration, and official portal links.
- Accuro (QHR) AI scribe integration
Marketplace REST API vs Chrome extension vs widget launch; documented read/write fields for Infoway roster vendors.
- OSCAR Pro & Juno AI scribe options
Chrome extension Smart Push/Pull, EMR widgets, and API paths for web-based OSCAR workflows in primary care.
- Best AI medical scribe in Canada (2026)
Evidence-weighted comparison of Infoway vendors — integration depth, trust documentation, pricing transparency, and support.