Before You Use Clareo, Ask Your Doctor

One of the most common questions we hear is whether patients should ask before using Clareo during an appointment.

Our answer is yes.

Part of the reason is practical. Recording laws vary by state. Some states follow single-party consent rules, while others require everyone involved to agree.

But our recommendation is not mainly about the legal minimum. It is about alignment.

We think it is better when you and your doctor are on the same page about the approach you are taking to be the most engaged patient possible. That is what Clareo is for: helping you better understand what was said, remember it later, and follow through more confidently after the visit.

Most often, that is exactly what doctors want too.

In fact, we encounter practices that recommend Clareo to their patients, which reinforces something important: helping patients better absorb and act on medical information is not at odds with good care. It supports it.

It is also worth noting that Clareo is not using some totally foreign kind of technology in the exam room. Our tool relies on some of the same underlying technology and partners that practices already use to record and transcribe appointments for their own purposes, including clinical documentation and billing workflows.

So in many cases, this is less unusual than it may seem.

The key is simply to ask.

That can sound like:

“Would you mind if I use Clareo during our visit? It helps me remember and understand what we discuss afterward.”

Or:

“I’ve been using Clareo to help me keep track of my appointments and next steps. Is it okay if I use it today?”

Or:

“I’m trying to be as engaged and on top of my care as possible. Would you be comfortable with me using Clareo for this visit?”

That kind of framing is respectful, clear, and easy to understand.

Clareo is not there to work against the doctor-patient relationship. It is there to support it.

So yes, laws differ. But beyond the law, asking helps create trust, alignment, and a shared understanding of how you are trying to show up as a patient.

And in our experience, that is usually something doctors are glad to see.