Helsinki is expanding a pilot of an AI-powered documentation assistant across its health and social services. After testing in physiotherapy and occupational therapy since the summer, the tool is being extended in October to units in student health services, dental care and social services, among others. The city wants to speed up documentation so that professionals can focus on interacting with clients.

What changes in October

The assistant has been tested in the City of Helsinki’s physiotherapy and occupational therapy services since the summer. The October expansion brings in units from:

  • student health services
  • dental care
  • social services
  • other services, which the city groups under “among others”

How the assistant works

The assistant generates draft documentation based on the conversation that takes place during an appointment. The professional then checks and completes the draft before saving it in the patient information system. The city states that the assistant does not store client data and that the data is not used to train the assistant.

The AI-based assistant is only used during a meeting or appointment after the professional asks the client for consent. This applies when the professional serving a client is taking part in the pilot. If the client does not want the assistant to be used, the professional documents the appointment without it.

Part of a wider reform

The pilot is part of a comprehensive reform of Helsinki’s health and social services. According to the city, its digital service channels are being developed over the course of this year and next so that residents can access services as smoothly as possible. At the same time, staff are being given new tools intended to make their everyday work easier, says Mika Perttu, programme director of the digital services reform.

For other cities, the approach shows one way of introducing AI into client records: the tool prepares a draft, while the professional reviews and completes it before anything is saved, and clients can decline its use.