Use Zoom's AI to Summarize Telehealth Sessions

What This Does

Zoom's meeting summary automatically generates a written summary of your telehealth session. capturing the main topics discussed, key moments, and action items, so you have a head start on your progress note instead of writing it entirely from memory.

Before You Start

• You have Zoom open and are running telehealth sessions through it
• Your Zoom account plan includes the meeting summary (included with eligible paid Zoom Workplace plans; check your settings)
• You have your client's consent to use AI features that process session audio (review your facility's policy)
• Client has been informed per your telehealth informed consent process

Steps

1. Turn on meeting summary before starting your session

1. Sign in at zoom.us in a browser
2. Open Settings
3. Look for the meeting summary controls in the AI section
4. Turn on automatic meeting summaries if they aren't already on
5. Optionally turn on smart recording if you record sessions

Zoom used to call these features "AI Companion" and dropped that name in 2026, so older help articles and colleagues may still use the old term.

What you should see: An AI icon should appear in your Zoom toolbar during meetings.

2. Start your telehealth session

1. Start the meeting as usual
2. During the session, hover over the AI icon (star/sparkle icon in the meeting toolbar)
3. Tick the Meeting summary checkbox, then click Start Zoom AI
4. A banner confirms that Zoom is now capturing the meeting

What you should see: A small indicator appears showing that the meeting is being summarized.

3. End the session. summary arrives automatically

1. End the meeting normally
2. Within 2-5 minutes, Zoom emails you a meeting summary
3. Open the email or find it in Zoom → Reports → Meeting Summary

What you should see: A structured summary with Main Points, Action Items, and a general outline of what was discussed.

4. Use the summary as your note-writing starting point

1. Open your EHR or a blank document
2. Review Zoom's summary. it won't be a progress note, but it captures the session arc
3. Use the key topics it identified to fill in your DAP, SOAP, or BIRP note structure much faster than recalling from memory

Real Example

Scenario: You run a 50-minute individual telehealth session with a client working on opioid use disorder and co-occurring anxiety.

What Zoom captures: Topics covered (coping strategies, upcoming stressor at work, medication compliance), your action item (follow up on referral to psychiatrist), and the general flow of the conversation.

What you get: A 5-8 line summary you use as a memory aid, cutting your note-writing time in half by eliminating the "what did we even cover?" mental reconstruction.

Tips

• Zoom's meeting summary does not transcribe verbatim. it summarizes themes, so sensitive clinical details are less likely to appear in the summary
• Still review your facility's telehealth AI policy and update your informed consent if needed before using this feature
• The summary works best as a recall aid. you still write the clinical progress note yourself using your professional judgment

Tool interfaces change, if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.