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Choosing a telehealth platform

Doxy.me vs. Google Meet: Why add dedicated telehealth?

Doxy.me vs. Google Meet: Why add dedicated telehealth?

Understand what a Workspace BAA covers and compare Google Meet with doxy.me on patient access, Waiting Room communication, clinical activities, and documentation.

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9 min read

Choosing a telehealth platform cover illustration

Over 1 million providers trust doxy.me.

See why.

The short answer

Choose doxy.me when you want a dedicated healthcare experience, with patient check-in, clinical tools, and flexible care workflows. Google Meet can support HIPAA-compliant appointments under an appropriate Workspace BAA and configuration, but the agreement doesn’t turn it into a dedicated telehealth platform.

If you already pay for Google Workspace, it’s reasonable to ask why you would add another video platform.

The reason is what you want around the conversation: a familiar patient arrival, two-way communication before the session, clinical activities, and coordinated handoffs.

Doxy.me is built for care, not conference calls, while Workspace continues supporting your everyday work.


01

What does a Workspace BAA cover?

A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) sets responsibilities for protecting patient information handled by a service provider. That includes transmitting information during appointments.

Google includes Meet among its covered Workspace services. Your organization must accept the appropriate BAA, use covered functionality, and manage access and sharing appropriately. Third-party apps and add-ons aren’t automatically included.

Some Workspace Gemini functionality is also covered, so Google’s AI features shouldn’t be dismissed as automatically outside its HIPAA framework. Google’s Workspace HIPAA guidance explains the scope.

Doxy.me supports HIPAA-compliant telehealth on Free and Premium plans, with a BAA available at no extra charge. Either platform requires appropriate safeguards within your practice.


02

Doxy.me vs. Google Meet at a glance

Main focus
Doxy.meDedicated telehealth platform built specifically for healthcare
Google Meet with a Workspace BAAGeneral-purpose video conferencing configured for healthcare use
HIPAA compliance and BAA
Doxy.meHIPAA-compliant telehealth on Free and Premium plans; BAA available at no charge
Google Meet with a Workspace BAACan support compliant use under an appropriate Workspace BAA and configuration
Patient access
Doxy.mePatients check in through a browser without an account or app
Google Meet with a Workspace BAAComputer users can join without a Google account when settings allow; admission is required for unsigned-in users
Waiting experience
Doxy.meDoxy.me Waiting Room and patient queue, with two-way provider–patient messaging
Google Meet with a Workspace BAAWaiting-room controls support participant queues, admission, and one-way messages
Documentation
Doxy.meScribe automatically creates structured clinical notes and transcripts in DAP, Intake, PIE, and SOAP formats
Google Meet with a Workspace BAAAI meeting notes available with eligible subscriptions and settings
Clinical tools
Doxy.mePremium plan offers tools such as Teleconsent, Whiteboard, Photo Capture, and Interpreter
Google Meet with a Workspace BAAUse alongside separately selected clinical tools
Team workflows
Doxy.meShared Rooms, patient transfers, and clinic controls
Google Meet with a Workspace BAAMeeting roles and Workspace administration

Features depend on plan, settings, device, and eligibility.


03

How do patients join and communicate?

Doxy.me patients open your Room link, check in, and enter your doxy.me Waiting Room. There’s no patient account or app download, including on supported mobile browsers.

Patients can bookmark the link or save it in their contacts. Invite Via lets you send it by email or text, depending on your plan.

From your Dashboard, you can exchange messages with waiting patients, including while another appointment is underway. Premium adds a Custom Waiting Room for welcome information and resources.

Google Meet supports joining from a computer without a Google account when settings permit, with admission required for unsigned-in participants. Its waiting rooms support queues, admission, and host messages, but waiting participants cannot reply.

Doxy.me gives patients a consistent route into care and a way to communicate before the call.


04

What does “built for care” mean in practice?

A healthcare appointment has different needs from a workplace meeting. Those needs shape how doxy.me works.

Doxy.me design choiceWhy it matters
See and message waiting patients from your Dashboard
No need for providers to go to the room and wait for their patient to arrive. And if the provider is running late, they send a quick note to let the patient know.
Start a Group Call with selected participants together
In couples therapy, both partners enter the conversation together, rather than one beginning a private discussion before the other arrives
Patients can message their provider, not each other
Communication stays between the patient and provider, supporting privacy and boundaries in group appointments
Virtual Backgrounds are for providers only
Providers can maintain a professional setting while retaining a view of the patient’s surroundings to help assess context and safety


05

What does dedicated telehealth add during care?

Doxy.me Premium brings clinical activities into the appointment:

  • Scribe: Automatically transcribe sessions and create clinical notes for your review, helping you focus on the patient

  • Invite Via: Send your Room link by email or text to invite patients, caregivers, or others involved in care

  • Teleconsent: Review consent documents together and collect digital signatures

  • Assessments: Complete validated mental-health questionnaires and discuss results

  • CBT Activities: Work through interactive exercises developed by practicing CBT providers

  • Interpreter: Bring a qualified medical interpreter into the conversation

  • And more…

Screen Share, Whiteboard, and Group Call help you explain ideas and involve others.

Healthcare needs also shape the controls. Selected Group Call participants can start together, patient messages go to the provider rather than each other, and Virtual Backgrounds are reserved for providers.

Practicing clinicians on our team help guide those decisions. Explore the doxy.me clinical tools around the care you deliver.


06

Are Google’s AI meeting notes the same as doxy.me’s clinical notes?

No. Google Meet summarizes meetings. Doxy.me’s Scribe creates structured clinical notes for patient care.

Google’s AI note-taking captures discussion points and action items in a Google Drive document. That can be useful, but it isn’t the same as organizing a patient encounter into a clinical note.

Scribe automatically transcribes sessions and creates clinical notes in DAP, Intake, PIE, and SOAP formats, helping you focus on the patient and spend less time organizing documentation afterward. You review and edit the notes before adding them to the patient record.

Use Scribe during virtual appointments or launch it from your Dashboard for in-person documentation. It is currently included at no extra charge during early access for eligible U.S. Premium users, subject to usage limits.

See the Scribe guide for availability and supported workflows.


07

Can doxy.me work alongside Workspace and your EHR?

Yes. Gmail, Calendar, and Drive can continue supporting your organization while doxy.me supports care.

Premium adds Shared Rooms and patient transfers for reception, triage, and provider handoffs. Clinic controls help organize users, room access, settings, and branding.

Care can also cross settings. A patient may sit beside you while a caregiver or consultant joins remotely. Interpreter can connect a medical interpreter to an in-person or virtual appointment, with separate usage charges.

Your EHR remains the home for the clinical record. Using systems alongside each other doesn’t create automatic syncing.


08

What does each option cost?

OptionSubscription basis
Doxy.me Free
$0 for basic one-to-one telehealth
Doxy.me Premium
$35 per user/month, or $29 per user/month billed annually at $348/year
Google Meet through Workspace
Pricing starts at $7 per user/month, but depends on your Workspace edition and the capabilities required

USD prices reviewed October 20, 2026.

Meet may add no subscription cost if your existing Workspace edition meets your needs. Doxy.me Premium adds dedicated clinical tools, clearer video options, documentation support, and appointment coordination.

Compare doxy.me’s plans with your Workspace entitlements and any additional clinical tools you would otherwise need.


09

Which should you choose?

Choose doxy.me when you want more from the care experience: patient check-in, two-way Waiting Room communication, interactive clinical activities, and flexible team workflows.

Meet may be sufficient when your healthcare configuration is appropriate, patients reliably join, and appointments mainly need video conversation.


10

Frequently asked questions

Does a Workspace BAA make Google Meet a telehealth platform?

It establishes responsibilities for covered patient information. It doesn’t add clinical activities or dedicated patient workflows.

Does Google Meet have a waiting room?

Yes. It includes admission controls and host messages. Waiting participants cannot reply to those messages.

Is doxy.me HIPAA-compliant on the Free plan?

Yes. HIPAA-compliant telehealth and a BAA are available at no extra charge. Confirm appropriate individual-provider or clinic coverage.

Doxy.me is built for care, not conference calls. See what that means for your practice.

Over 1 million providers trust doxy.me. See why.