APA’s AI Technology Checklist: Note Designer has you Covered

The American Psychological Association (APA) has recently issued a Companion Checklist for the Evaluation of an AI-Enabled Clinical or Administrative Tool. We are very pleased to see such an initiative and are hopeful that this will help clinicians as they navigate the use of AI technology in their practice. Here is how Note Designer’s Ethical AI has you covered:

Checklist Responses

Are there clinical professionals on the leadership team?
✔ Yes – Note Designer is created, owned and operated by Psychologists

Does the tool fit your practice needs related to:
✔ Functionality
✔ Integration in workflow
✔ Compatible with existing technology used (e.g., EHR)
✔ Cost Effective
✔ Demo or free trial offered
✔ Tech Support

Is there clinical evidence to support the tool’s safety and effectiveness?
N/A -Not applicable (the tool is an administrative/documentation tool and not a clinical intervention)

Does the company attest that the tool is HIPAA compliant and/or is compliant with applicable data privacy laws and regulations in the jurisdiction in which you practice?
✔ Yes – Note Designer does not store, access, sell, or otherwise use PHI. All data entry remains under the clinician’s control. The platform is designed with HIPAA, PIPEDA, and PHIPA compliance in mind. We maintain secure, encrypted systems and provide a privacy agreement that reflects these standards.

Does the company provide a business associate agreement (BAA)?
N/A -Because Note Designer does not store, access, or process PHI, we are not technically a “business associate.” However, we comply with HIPAA regulations and can provide a signed privacy agreement for customers who require one.

Does the company encrypt personal / user data?
✔ Yes – All user account data is encrypted in transit.

Does the company have any additional technology related certifications?
N/A – Because Note Designer does not store any PHI and does not retain clinical notes, share, use, or sell any subscriber data, no other technology certificates apply.

What personal data does the company collect?
✔ Name
✔ Email
✘  IP address
✘ Location data (not collected)
✘ Personal Health Information (Note Designer does not collect or store PHI)
Other: None

Does the company share data with third parties (e.g., for marketing or research purposes)?
✔ No

Does the company sell data?
✔ No

If the tool uses AI, is user data and/or your company data used to train the underlying AI model?
✔ No – AI features are clinician-controlled and do not use session data for training.

Does the company allow a user to delete, correct, and/or amend data?
✔ Yes – Users may delete or amend their own account data at any time. Patient data is however never stored.

How long is data retained?
✔ Clinical data is never retained. If an account is closed, subscriber account data is permanently deleted upon request.

Where is data stored?
✔ We do not store PHI or clinical notes. Clinician created note template modifications and customizations are stored using cloud-based storage on secure servers located in the United States.

Does the tool provide guidance regarding obtaining patient informed consent or a sample consent form, and/or require provider attestation that informed consent has been obtained prior to using the tool?
✔ Yes – Note Designer’s AI does not have access to PHI and is locally hosted, and so the clinician is not required to obtain patient consent to use the software. That being said, Note Designer does provide a sample informed consent form for clinicians to use if they wish to inform clients that they are using AI assisted technology to write their documentation.

Our Promise

Using Note Designer’s Ethical AI, you can be confident that your notes remain fully in your control—never stored, never shared, and never used for training. Our platform is built, owned, and run by psychologists who understand both the clinical and ethical responsibilities of documentation. With Note Designer, you get a tool that keeps you compliant, protects patient privacy, and supports your practice every step of the way.

Looking for a different approach to AI scribes? Learn about Note Designer’s AI-assisted therapy notes without recording. Prefer to avoid AI altogether? Note Designer Classic offers our original non-AI documentation software.

Patricia C. Baldwin, Ph.D

Clinical Psychologist

President

Note Designer Inc.