Insight Notes {app review}

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.  It seems endless sometimes, doesn't it?  Sometimes I wish people would come up with a solution to make it easier for us.  Well the creators of Insight Notes have tried to do just that with their app.  It was originally designed for psychotherapy, but they're wondering if it would be appropriate for SLPs to use as well.  So check it out with me and leave some feedback in the comments below.

Info about the app (directly from Insight Notes):

"Insight Notes is an iPad-based recordkeeping system designed to meet the needs of professionals who take notes or keep records on a per-client or per-project basis.  It is designed to be secure, simple, intuitive, and convenient.  Insight Notes was originally designed to meet the needs of health professionals who have strict security requirements and who wish to keep electronic notes, but do not need a multifaceted practice-management system tied to billing, insurance claims, scheduling, or invoicing."

Let's take a look inside, shall we?

First, set up your account with the following information:

Once you add a student/client, you can begin adding notes.  You have four options for notes- text, draw, scan, and progress.   Select the option you want from the menu that looks like this:

   

Once you have finished your note, you have the option to complete it, print it, or share it.  Once you hit complete, it will add your signature and contact information at the bottom.

 

As with all apps, you have a great settings menu here: 

And the biggest question on my mind, is it HIPAA compliant?  Well every time I exited out of the app, I got this screen below, which required a password:

Use in the SLP World:

As SLPs we generally have a required software that we use by our employers for billing, progress notes, IEPs, etc.  However, they don't necessarily mandate how we take/ collect our data.  Here are a couple of my thoughts on how we could use this app in our world.

-I think this would be a great app for in the nursing homes.  There were so many times that I was scrambling for a piece of paper to jot notes down.  This would be extremely easy to carry around and either type or write.  Nursing homes tend to have their own software system, as do most places SLPs work.  However, this would be great if you couldn't carry a laptop around with you.  You could type up notes and then transfer them to the software system later.  It also helps if you can't put your charges in right away--you can remember exactly what happened in your sessions!

-If you're not using the iPad for therapy that day, you could jot notes down by student.  Hit "complete" and that note cannot be edited.  This would be a great and easy way to eliminate lots of loose papers in files, especially since this app is HIPAA compliant!

-If you're not using the iPad for therapy that day, have the students take data themselves in a note.  They would find this highly motivating, I'm sure--the iPad always helps!

-This app could be great for meeting notes.  Maybe you feel like you can't write everything down in meetings and typing is faster.  Maybe you want a place to save meeting notes along with the child's data.  This would be a great way to do that.

Features to Add:

Now they want to know this..."This is a great app, but the thing that is missing that I really need for my practice is __________."  So let's talk about some of those _____s.

1) A way to upload a template.  They have a progress note template in there, but that doesn't necessarily work for our field.  It would be awesome to have a way to upload or own template for progress notes, evaluations, etc.
2) A way to add tables, graphs, etc.  I can draw these by hand in the "draw" note, but they don't always look pretty or get the job done very well.
3) Possibly a way to have more than one child's note open at once, perhaps a side-by-side type thing.  While this may be a bit complicated to do on the developer's side of things,  it would make group sessions a lot easier (instead of having to back out of every kid, go into another one, and so on).
4) A way to add more information about the client.  Right now, there is basically just his name under the client information.  It would be great to be able to add goals, likes, dislikes, etc.

So what do you think?  Could SLPs use this? 

Note: Insight Notes provided me with a copy of the app for my review. No other compensation was received.  All opinions expressed are mine.