of 5— Download and set up Otter.ai

What you'll accomplish

Record a 2-minute voice summary in your car before you drive away from every home visit, and have it automatically transcribed and ready to expand into a full case note. No more trying to reconstruct what you observed 3 hours later when you're finally at your desk.

What you'll need

A smartphone (iPhone or Android)
The Otter.ai app (free to download)
An Otter.ai account (free tier allows 300 minutes/month)
Time needed: 15 minutes to set up; 2 minutes per visit after that
Cost: Free (300 min/month); $17/month Pro for more minutes

Use Otter.ai to Capture Home Visit Notes Instantly

Step 1: Download and set up Otter.ai

On your smartphone, go to the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) and search for "Otter.ai." Download the app. Open it and create a free account using your personal email.

Open the app — it shows a blue-and-white interface with a large record button
Tap "Sign up" and create an account with your personal email
Skip the team/organization setup (you're using this personally)

What you should see: A home screen showing a large orange/red record button and any previous recordings. Troubleshooting: If the app asks for microphone permission, allow it — the app can't work without it.

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