"Your medical provider might be recording your mental health care visits" 16 June 2026

...In 2024, Kaiser Permanente announced the rollout of Abridge. Described in a press release as “ambient listening technology,” the AI-powered scribe is designed to help clinicians including mental health providers securely capture clinical notes during patient visits. But what the description fails to indicate is that the tool records entire medical appointments, including deeply personal mental health sessions. During these sessions, mental health professionals are required to obtain patients’ consent before using the tool. However, as shared by multiple providers, that consent process does not include explanations about how the information is handled. Nor does it say how long and where recordings are stored, or who has access to the data....

...[M]ental health data can be especially sensitive because of the stigma surrounding mental health conditions. For patients, that stigma carries real-world consequences in areas such as employment, child custody cases, immigration matters, and security clearances. [L]ike other forms of personal data, mental health information can be weaponized against individuals...

...A spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente insisted in an emailed response to American Community Media that clinicians are required to gain patient consent prior to using Abridge. “No one is recorded without their knowledge and consent,” the statement read. It added that recordings are stored for no longer than 14 days, and that data processing meets all HIPAA requirements as well as Kaiser Permanente’s own privacy and security standards. “Abridge helps clinicians spend more time focused on patients and less time on administrative tasks,” it said...

...American Community Media reached out multiple times to Abridge AI Inc. for comment but received no response...