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What is the Summary?

The summary is a concise, easy-to-understand explanation of what happened during a consultation. It is generated automatically by Echo-Health.ai once the full transcript has been processed, but it is always reviewed and approved by a clinician before it is sent to the patient.

🧾 How 's the Summary Generated?

The summary is a concise, easy-to-understand explanation of what happened during a consultation. It is generated automatically by Echo-Health.ai once the full transcript has been processed, but it is always reviewed and approved by a clinician before it is sent to the patient.

It typically includes:

  • The reason for the consult

  • Any diagnosis or health issue discussed

  • Treatment plans or next steps

  • Clear instructions for what the patient needs to do

What Is CALD?

CALD stands for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. In Australia and New Zealand, this refers to people who:

  • Were born overseas

  • Speak a language other than English at home

  • May have different cultural or health beliefs

Serving CALD patients is a priority for equitable care, as they are more likely to experience:

  • Lower health literacy

  • Poorer health outcomes

  • Communication barriers with clinicians

Why Keep It Short?

Echo-Health summaries are kept brief (typically under 100–150 words) to support comprehension and recall. Research shows that:

  • Short, plain-language messages improve understanding among CALD populations and those with low health literacy【1】.

  • Patients forget up to 80% of medical advice immediately after a consultation【2】, particularly if it's complex or not in their first language.

  • A 2021 study on SMS-based health communication in CALD communities found that concise, tailored texts led to higher engagement and action rates (Zhang et al., JMIR mHealth, 2021)【3】.

How Is the Summary Created?

  1. Transcript Processed
    Echo-Health.ai analyses the full consultation transcript using a medical-grade language model.

  2. Information Extracted
    Key medical and action points are identified and structured using best-practice documentation standards.

  3. Health Literacy Applied
    The summary is rewritten in plain English, considering the patient’s health literacy and language preferences.

  4. Clinician Approval
    No summary is sent until reviewed and approved by the clinician.

  5. Delivered by SMS
    Once approved, the summary is sent via secure, date-stamped SMS—ideal for patients to reference later or share with caregivers.

Why Does It Matter?

Echo-Health summaries:

  • Support CALD and vulnerable patients to understand and act on medical advice

  • Help reduce miscommunication, non-compliance, and preventable hospital readmissions

  • Provide clear records of care instructions, aligned with legal and clinical documentation requirements

References

  1. Schillinger D. et al. (2003). Closing the loop: physician communication with diabetic patients who have low health literacy. Arch Intern Med.

  2. Kessels RPC. (2003). Patients’ memory for medical information. J R Soc Med.

  3. Zhang Y. et al. (2021). Tailoring SMS health communication to culturally and linguistically diverse populations. JMIR mHealth and uHealth.