How consent works before encounter capture in Porvio

A new Porvio encounter cannot move directly into capture. The user first identifies the patient and template, then confirms the consent state. This creates a visible workflow boundary between preparing the encounter and recording it.

The checkpoint is evidence that a user made a confirmation in Porvio. It is not proof that the surrounding conversation was legally sufficient. The clinician or organization must decide who can consent, what must be explained, how a substitute decision-maker is handled, and when written or additional documentation is appropriate.

Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner explains that knowledgeable consent in the AI-scribe context means the person understands that an AI scribe is being used, the purpose of that use, and the choice to give or withhold consent. The guidance also recommends meaningful information about benefits, reliability risks, bias, third-party disclosure, and legal authority.

Use plain language. A patient should not need to understand model architecture to make a choice, but should understand what will happen to the conversation and what the clinician will do with the resulting draft.

• What will be captured and why.
• That software will help produce draft documentation.
• That the clinician will review and remain responsible for the final note.
• The material privacy and reliability risks relevant to the practice's use.
• What alternative documentation method is available.
• How the patient can ask questions, refuse, or withdraw consent.

Do not start capture when the required consent is withheld. Use the practice's alternative documentation process and continue providing the same or a similar level of care. Consent to documentation technology should not become a condition for receiving care.

If consent is withdrawn during an encounter, stop further capture. Follow the practice's approved procedure for the information already collected, document the event where appropriate, and tell the patient what will happen next. Porvio's interface cannot decide those obligations for the organization.

• Use a short, approved explanation that staff can deliver consistently.
• Train users not to treat microphone permission as consent.
• Define the path for capacity, minors, substitute decision-makers, interpreters, and multiple participants.
• Keep a non-AI documentation option ready.
• Review the policy when the technology, vendor terms, or permitted purposes change.