How I Customized My Jane AI Scribe Template to Make it More OT
- Carlyn Neek
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
(with a little help from ChatGPT)
Let’s talk about the moment when you realize you’re using AI to help improve another AI tool to make a third AI work better.
It’s a little mind-bendy, right? Like an Escher drawing or that one dream sequence in Inception.
But that’s where I found myself recently, combining Jane’s AI Scribe, Jane’s sample prompts, and ChatGPT to create a custom documentation template that finally captures the whole-person, nuanced nature of occupational therapy.
And the result? Something I’ve honestly dreamed about for years as a private practice OT with ADHD: documentation that’s faster, easier, and a way better reflection of what actually happens in session.
What Is AI Scribe and Why I Wanted to Customize It
I should first introduce you to the Jane.app. It’s a clinic management system or EMR that helps health and wellness practitioners book, document, schedule, bill and get paid. Jane’s AI Scribe is only AI-powered scribe that’s fully integrated into Jane, and is built securely with their AI principles in mind. It’s secure (HIPAA and PIPEDA compliant), integrated right into your EMR workflow, and doesn’t use your data to train the feature. You can upload or record a session, transcribe it, and generate a SOAP or custom-formatted note in minutes. No more lists of chart notes to complete!
But here’s the thing, while the default SOAP note was solid, it didn’t quite capture what I needed as an OT. The intervention and client response sections felt like they missed the occupation-focused intervention. As OTs, our interventions can seem casual, like a thoughtful conversation about someone's week, but underneath, we’re addressing occupational participation, role shifts, value-driven action, gathering contextual info, and often doing some pretty deep therapeutic work.
The template I had been using in another secure AI app helped a little, but I still found myself editing a lot. That’s when I decided to team up my AI tools to get the AI Scribe to be an awesome documentation team mate.
How I Used ChatGPT to Supercharge My Template
Here’s the step-by-step of what I did to get my template from OK to WOW:
I opened up default SOAP note template that comes with AI Scribe and my custom one from the previous app, then pasted both into ChatGPT.
I gave ChatGPT a rundown of my clinical role, what wasn’t working with the current outputs, and what I’d ideally like the chart note to include.
I added some of Jane’s AI Scribe sample prompts to show how the engine likes to be guided.
Based on ChatGPT’s suggestions, I created a brand-new Smart Template in Jane, pasted in the refined prompt instructions, and tweaked it to remove what didn’t matter and add what did.
I tested the template using Jane’s sample psychology transcript (since it was closer to my mental health work than the PT one). The results were decent, but a couple things were still off.
I went back to ChatGPT, shared the sample output, what wasn’t working, and got an updated version of the instructions. The next output scored about 8/10. Better than I would have done myself, but I was curious what optimizing it might look like.
I pasted that 8/10 note back into ChatGPT and asked, “How could this be better?” This is where the magic happened. It suggested aligning the language more clearly with OT frameworks, emphasizing occupational participation, roles, motivation, and values. I also asked it to highlight any ACT concepts used in the session and include how the client responded to those strategies. I updated the formatting for readability too.
I tested it again, and finally, it felt right. The note required very little editing and reflected my sessions more accurately, and with more OT synthesis than I could have written them on my own.
The Outcome: Notes That Reflect My Work and Save Me Time
Now, I’m finishing my notes during sessions, and they’re not just complete, they’re REALLY GOOD. They reflect my actual clinical reasoning, highlight key moments of change, and use language that fits our scope as OTs working in mental health.
As a multi-passionate, OT, entrepreneur, mentor, and education with ADHD, this kind of closed-loop workflow is a dream. There is no list of chart notes to get to, it cuts down on cognitive load, and still holds the nuance of my work.
This is the thing my brain and I have been wishing for since the early 2000s. And something tells me it’s only going to get better. I’m looking forward to when AI Scribe can pull from the entire chart and write a full progress report. The way Jane focuses on making administrative tasks easier for helpers, I’m sure it won’t be long now.
On that note, I recently met Raj, a member of Jane’s AI team. He shared that he is married to an OT and was inspired to create AI Scribe because he used to do dishes while his wife sat at the kitchen table writing notes after supper. Now, thanks to AI Scribe, she’s done before the dishwasher’s even loaded. And he still does the dishes, by the way.
Raj is coming on an upcoming episode of
to talk about AI, OT, and the behind-the-scenes of building AI Scribe. I cannot wait for that conversation, watch for it soon.
Want to Try Jane’s AI Scribe for Yourself?
If your notes aren’t reflecting your work, or you’re spending way too much time staring at a blinking cursor trying to remember what even happened in that session, AI Scribe is worth exploring. And if you take 30 minutes to tailor a template to your scope and style, it could genuinely transform how you feel about documentation life like it has for me.
If you’re ready to try Jane, use my code, VITALITY at sign up for a one-month grace period on a new Jane account. I’m also happy to share the prompt I use inside my Smart Template if that helps you get started.
You can also book a demo if you want to see AI Scribe in action.
A couple of resources to help you get started:
Transparency time: I’m a Jane Ambassador, which means I get to share tools I love with the people I serve. I’ll always be upfront about that. But I only ever recommend what I’ve tried, tested, and truly believe can help. If it doesn’t pass the “would I tell my best OT friend about this over coffee?” test, I won’t include it here.
I'm Carlyn Neek and, while I'm an OT in Calgary, AB, Canada, I'm also passionate about helping therapy business owners thrive without the hustle, making their businesses fit their lives rather so they can enjoy all of their roles.
I'd love to chat with you if you're tired of being too busy and want to create more flow, joy and VITALITY in your life. Book a call with me today.
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