Near-real-time summarisation of health promotion interviews using generative AI

Background

In municipal health promotion services, public health nurses assess residents’ health concerns and support behaviour change. However, documenting interviews is time-consuming and may reduce service efficiency. It is also difficult to provide residents with a written summary immediately after the session. We developed a system combining speech recognition and generative AI to support near-real-time documentation.

Methods

This feasibility study was conducted in a municipality-based health promotion service in Japan. The system automatically transcribes interviews and generates structured summaries in predefined categories, including lifestyle habits and behavioural goals. Summaries are updated continuously during the interview and can be printed immediately. Public health nurses used the system in routine interviews with residents and evaluated it based on their user experience. Feasibility was assessed by comparing AI-generated reports with handwritten records and by collecting questionnaire feedback after use.

Results

Ten public health nurses used the system in 72 interviews. Mean usage time was 16.1 minutes (SD 6.6). In 83.6% of interviews, AI-generated reports were rated as equivalent to or better than handwritten records. Public health nurses reported that automatic classification and summarisation across topics such as diet, physical activity and sleep could improve efficiency. The print function, which enabled immediate provision of a written summary to residents, was also rated as particularly useful.

Conclusions

Speech recognition and generative AI may reduce documentation burden in municipal health promotion services and support more efficient and standardised health guidance. Further evaluation in other settings is needed to assess wider applicability.

Key messages

• AI-supported summarisation reduced documentation burden in municipal health promotion interviews.

• The tool may improve efficiency and standardisation of public health nursing practice.