Transcribe a Dictated Operative Note or Surgical Teaching Video
Record a dictated operative note or a surgical teaching video with the browser or mobile recorder, or upload a file you already have, and ScreenApp turns the audio into text. It is built for de-identified dictation, surgical education videos, and training content, not for storing patient records.
ScreenApp is not HIPAA compliant and does not sign a business associate agreement. It also does not connect to an EHR or an operating room system. Do not dictate or upload protected health information: strip patient names, medical record numbers, and other identifying details before you record or upload.
What you get:
- A transcript with speaker identification, in 99 languages
- custom vocabulary for transcription, so surgical and anatomical terms are recognized
- AI chat with any recording that can draft an operative-note structure as text from the transcript
- chapters with timestamps, useful for splitting a long teaching video by step
- Export as PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT
- Free plan: one recording of up to 45 minutes, with AI chat on it
How to Transcribe a Surgical Recording
- Record or upload: Dictate the note with the browser or mobile recorder, or upload a de-identified recording (MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI, MKV, WMV, and FLV or MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG and FLAC).
- Let it transcribe: The audio converts to text, with speaker labels if more than one person is talking, a few minutes after you stop.
- Review, chat, and export: Read the transcript, ask the AI chat to draft a note structure from it, and export as PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT.
Accuracy depends on the audio. A close microphone in a quiet room works best; an operating room with equipment noise, masks, and several voices at once will produce more gaps. See how we measure accuracy.
Surgical Procedure Transcription vs Other Apps
| Feature | ScreenApp | Otter.ai | Sonix | Rev |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | one recording, up to 45 min | 300 min/month | 30-min trial | 45 min/month (AI) |
| Transcription | Included | Included within the minute cap | Included with the plan, or $10/hour pay as you go | $0.25/min (AI), $1.99/min (human) |
| Custom vocabulary | custom vocabulary for transcription | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| HIPAA compliant | No | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Languages | 99 | 6 | 54+ | Not stated |
| Paid plan | $19/month annual | $8.33/month annual | $25/month | $25.49/month annual |
Sources, checked 2026-09-12: screenapp.io/accuracy, screenapp.io/accuracy#languages, screenapp.io/pricing, screenapp.io/help/how-many-minutes-can-i-record, otter.ai/pricing, sonix.ai/pricing, rev.com/pricing, rev.com/apps-and-tools/audio-transcription-app
- vs Otter.ai: Otter’s free plan caps you at 300 minutes a month, and its site does not state a custom-vocabulary feature for surgical terms. ScreenApp’s free plan is smaller by the minute but includes custom vocabulary and AI chat.
- vs Sonix: Sonix gives a one-time 30-minute trial, then charges $25 a month or $10 an hour pay as you go. ScreenApp’s free plan renews rather than being a one-time trial.
- vs Rev: Rev’s free tier gives 45 AI minutes a month, then charges $0.25 per minute for an AI transcript or $1.99 per minute for a human one. Neither Otter, Sonix, nor Rev states HIPAA compliance on its own pricing page, so none of the three is a documented alternative for handling patient data either.
Who Uses Surgical Procedure Transcription
Surgeons dictate a de-identified operative note after a case and get a searchable transcript back, instead of typing the note from memory later.
Surgical educators transcribe teaching videos of a procedure so students can search the recording for the step they need instead of scrubbing through the whole video.
Residents review recorded teaching cases and use the transcript to study the sequence of steps and the terms the attending used.
Simulation and skills labs transcribe recordings of practice procedures so trainees and instructors can review what was said during the session.
Medical device trainers transcribe demonstration videos of device use so the written steps can be shared alongside the recording.
Continuing-education producers transcribe recorded surgical talks and case reviews to turn them into written course material.
FAQ
Is ScreenApp HIPAA compliant for surgical transcription?
No. ScreenApp is not HIPAA compliant and does not sign a business associate agreement. Do not dictate or upload protected health information, including patient names, faces, or medical record numbers. Use it for de-identified dictation, surgical education videos, and training content instead.
What is ScreenApp’s surgical procedure transcription for?
It is for de-identified dictation and surgical education: a de-identified operative note, a teaching video narration, or a recorded demonstration. It converts the audio to a searchable text transcript with speaker identification, in 99 languages.
Can I record a dictated operative note directly in ScreenApp?
Yes, as long as it is de-identified. Use the browser or mobile recorder to dictate the note, then let ScreenApp transcribe it. If you already recorded it on another device, upload the file instead.
Does ScreenApp recognize surgical and anatomical terms?
ScreenApp supports custom vocabulary for transcription, so you can add the surgical and anatomical terms specific to your specialty before transcribing. General accuracy still depends on the audio; see the accuracy page for details.
Does ScreenApp connect to an EHR or operating room system?
No. ScreenApp does not integrate with an EHR or an OR system. It transcribes a de-identified recording and gives you a text file to export or paste elsewhere.
Can the AI draft an operative-note structure from the transcript?
Yes. AI chat with any recording, and you can ask it to organize the transcript into an operative-note structure as plain text. Review anything it drafts before you use it; it is a starting point, not a verified clinical document.
What formats can I export the transcript in?
Export as PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT. Copy the text into any document or template you already use.
How secure are surgical recordings on ScreenApp?
Recordings are encrypted with AES-256 and are not used to train AI models. ScreenApp’s security controls, including its SOC 2 report, are published on its trust center. Security controls are separate from HIPAA compliance: do not upload protected health information regardless of these controls.
