Raise your hand if you’ve ever wished for more hours in the day to grow your nutrition business (raises hand dramatically). One of the biggest struggles I hear from fellow nutrition business owners is the constant battle with time. Between client consultations, admin tasks, and actually having a life, it’s no wonder time management and streamlined systems are at the top of everyone’s wish list.
Enter: AI tools. Yes, they’re everywhere now, and they’re not just a flashy trend. Using AI tools in your nutrition business is quickly becoming a game-changer, helping you work smarter, not harder. One area where these tools can seriously shine? Client consultations.
So let’s talk – client consultations are where the magic happens. It’s your chance to create a meaningful impact on your client’s health and well-being. But if you’re drowning in note-taking during sessions, are you actually giving your clients your full attention? Plus, let’s not even talk about the time spent typing up those detailed notes after each session. Spoiler alert: The time adds up.
That’s where AI note-writing tools specifically designed for the medical and healthcare industry come in. These handy little helpers can transcribe, summarise, and organise your consultation notes with impressive accuracy and speed. Think of them as your invisible assistant, making sure nothing slips through the cracks while freeing you up to focus on what matters – your clients and your business growth.
In this post, we’ll dive into the challenges of traditional note-taking during nutrition consultations, explore how AI note-writing tools can swoop in to save the day, and break down the key benefits they bring to the table. Plus, I’ll share my personal experience using AI note-writing tools and reveal my top 3 favourites after researching over 10 different options. Let’s get into it!
Challenges of Manual Note-Taking in Nutrition Consultations
- Time-Consuming and Disruptive
Manual note-taking? It’s a total time-suck. Not only does it pile on hours of admin work to your already overflowing plate, but it also risks disrupting the natural flow of your client chats. Ever feel like you’re pausing the conversation too much to jot down details? It’s not great for building that seamless client connection is it?
- Prone to Errors and Inconsistencies
Even with your A+ listening skills, manual notes can be a breeding ground for errors. Misheard comments, missed details, or typos can creep in, leaving you with notes that might confuse you later – especially if you’re working with a team or referring back months down the line.
- Detracts from Client Interaction
Taking notes mid-session can feel like trying to text while having coffee with a friend – something gets lost. Your client might feel unheard or that the session is more about paperwork than personal connection. However losing that personal touch can lead to a less fulfilling experience for both you and your client, which could ultimately impact their satisfaction with your services.
Key Benefits of AI Note-Writing Tools for Dietitians and Nutritionists
The integration of AI note-writing tools into your nutrition practice can provide significant benefits:
- Time-Saving Superpower: AI tools let you skip the endless note-taking and focus on seeing more clients, growing your business and enjoying your time off.
- Accuracy You Can Count On: They capture every detail during the transcription, giving you reliable and complete client records without the headache.
- More Active Listening: With AI on note duty, you can give your clients your full attention – eye contact, thoughtful chats, and fostering a supportive environment. This can be especially important in the time of remote consultations where building rapport and connection can be even harder.
- Customisable to Your Practice: No nutrition businesses are the same and AI tools can be tailored to fit your unique business needs – whether it’s customised templates or the use of specific terminology.
- Faster Follow-Ups: Follow-up communication with clients is essential, but drafting personalised plans after writing up notes can cause delays. With AI note-writing tools, your notes are already transcribed and organised, which allows you to quickly create follow-up messages, meal plans, or progress reports.
Concerns About AI Note Writing Tools
With the increasing use of AI technology in healthcare trickling through to the nutrition world, there have understandably been some concerns raised by nutrition business owners. These are the 3 most common ones I have heard that I want to address.
- Data Security
This is a totally valid worry. The good news? AI tools that are designed for healthcare follow strict privacy regulations, use data encryption, and are transparent with all compliance details on their websites. Always double-check before choosing a tool though – a must for any tech you bring into your practice.
- Accuracy
Some nutrition business owners believe that they would spend so much time correcting information that it wouldn’t be worth their while. But AI tools today are a far cry from those poorly accurate auto-transcriptions of the past. I found them super accurate, and many other nutrition pros agree.
Bonus tip: Free trials let you test before committing so try it out for yourself if you have any doubts!
- Client Consent
Yes, you need it. But adding a clause to your terms or asking at the start of a session works well. Most clients are fine with it once they know why you’re using it and how their data is protected. They are working with you because they trust you! Plus, many AI companies offer handy resources to tackle client FAQs.
Choosing AI Note Writing Tool For Your Nutrition Business
Picking the right AI tool? You’ve got to know what matters most. Integration with your practice management system? Budget-friendly? Custom templates? Easy to learn? The good news? As already mentioned, most tools offer free trials, so you can test-drive a few out during real consultations before committing to see which one fits your unique needs.
After diving deep into research and trialling multiple options, I’ve narrowed it down to my top 3 AI note-writing tools that tick all the boxes for nutrition business owners: Heidi, Lyrebird Health, and Practice Better AI Charting Assistant. Accurate? Yes. Affordable? Some are even free! Easy to use? Absolutely. Plus, they all meet high data security standards.
Heidi
Who are they? An Australian-based company that’s become a go-to for dietitians worldwide. Founded in 2019, expanded to the US, and launched in the UK in 2024. Their AI note-taking tool is a fresh addition from 2024, enhancing their already solid suite of medical AI tools.
How does it work? Records your consultation audio via browser, transcribes it, and pops the notes into your selected template. You can choose from four detail levels, make edits, download, and even generate client letters from your notes.
Current use in the UK: Piloting in 7 NHS Trusts currently and launching in a further 2 soon.
Lyrebird Health
Who are they? Another Aussie gem, founded in 2023, has been making waves in the UK since 2024 with its AI medical tools.
How does it work? A similar process to Heidi. Records your consultation audio via browser, transcribes it, and pops the notes into your selected template. You can choose from four detail levels, make edits, download, and even generate client letters from your notes.
Current use in the UK: Piloting across several NHS Trusts in various disciplines.
Practice Better AI Charting Assistant
Who are they? A US-based company offering full practice management software since 2014. Their AI Charting Assistant has been helping nutrition pros for a couple of years now.
How does it work? Records your consultation, generates AI summary notes in outline, narrative, or SOAP formats, and auto-adds them to your client review notes. You can then edit and finalise with ease.
Current use: Used by UK-based dietitians.
Honourable Mentions: Freed, Talia, Auto Notes, Nabla, and S10AI popped up in my research but didn’t quite make the top 3 cut for various reasons. (Still worth a peek if you’re curious!)
Next up, I’ll dive into why these top 3 stood out and highlight some of the key features to help you in your decision.
Table: Features of 3 AI note-writing tools for nutrition business owners
| Heidi | Lyrebird | Practice Better AI Charting Assistant | |
| Tutorials | Video and written tutorials available. Can also provide a free demo. | Video and written tutorials available. Can also provide a free demo. | A short video and written tutorials are available. |
| Integrations with practice management software | Halaxy, Cliniko – available on Together tier only | Cliniko | Practice Better |
| Server | Locally based servers | Australia but soon to have servers in the UK & EEA (likely by April 2025) | USA |
| Data encryption | Yes | Yes – double (envelope encryption) | Yes |
| Data security | GDPR & HIPAA compliant
The audio is not saved. Personal data is anonymised during processing. Transcriptions & notes are only saved until deleted by the user. Do not use data to train AI models. |
GDPR & HIPAA compliant
The audio is not saved. Personal data is anonymised during processing. Transcriptions & notes are only saved until deleted by the user. Do not use data to train AI models. |
GDPR & HIPAA compliant |
| Dictate option | Yes, direct & smart available | Yes, direct & smart available | No |
| Free templates available | Yes, including SOAP clinic notes. | Yes including SOAP clinic notes for initial and review consultations and clinician letters. | 3 AI note options available – narrative (paragraph), outline (bullet points), SOAP. Can select by appointment type. |
| Customised templates | Yes, as many as you want.
Can customise by adding descriptions of what to include in each section (=prompts) and format of information e.g. paragraph or listed and length (brief, Goldilocks, detailed, super detailed). |
Yes, as many as you want.
Can customise by adding descriptions of what to include in each section (=prompts) and format of information e.g. paragraph or listed (dot, dash, numbered) and length (short, regular, long). |
Note templates can be customised but the AI charting assistant only produces a summary which can be inserted into your note template. |
| Price | 3 packages available.
– Free: Free (Unlimited consults, limited features with basic templates only, 10 Pro Actions) – Pro: £49/mth (Unlimited consults, all features, unlimited Pro Actions) – Team: Custom price Save 33% if paid annually. 1 Pro Action = Advanced functions eg custom templates, additional document creation such as letters No minimum contract. |
3 packages available.
– Lite: Free (50 credits, all features available) – Pro: £59/mth* (Unlimited credits, all features available) – Team: Custom price Save 33% if paid annually. 1 credit = 1 note/letter No minimum contract. *The website states £59/mth but I was advised at the time of publication that there is a 50% discount on this price so I would encourage to get in touch. |
First 600 minutes free; then, each AI credit costs $0.005, which translates into $0.01/min.
Note: 2 AI credits = 1 minute of AI |
| Free trial | 7 days or 30 days depending on the package | 14 days | Free for existing paid users |
| Customer support | Excellent. Personal experience of using a 1 month-paid trial. The team created a customised review template and answered queries promptly.
Online message support is available. |
The team can create customised review templates for you.
Online message support is available 22 hours per day. Usually respond in less than 1 minute. |
Online message support available but can take up to 24 hours to respond. |
| Advantages | Unlimited consults in the free package if using basic templates. | Full features including customised templates available in the free package.
Can create macros: specific template sections you may wish to reuse in notes eg treatment plans for specific conditions. |
First 600 mins free then fairly cheap after that at $0.60/hr.
Automatically added to your client notes to keep workflow efficient. |
| Disadvantages | Limited features in the free package.
If using customised templates, this can take a little time to set up and teach the AI what information you want and how you want it laid out. Therefore you need to allocate some time at the start but this will be the same across all platforms. |
Currently, servers are only based in Australia so would need to consider using the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA).
If using customised templates, this can take a little time to set up and teach the AI what information you want and how you want it laid out. Therefore you need to allocate some time at the start but this will be the same across all platforms. |
Only available on paid plans.
Summary notes only. |
| Who it may be best suitable for | Users on a tight budget who are happy with basic templates.
Anyone else looking for an AI note-writing tool that is well-priced and has lots of features. PB users who want more detailed notes. |
Users on a tight budget who will use less than 50 credits per month, especially if you want customised templates.
Anyone else looking for an AI note-writing tool that is well-priced and has lots of features. PB users who want more detailed notes. |
PB users only. |
Final Thoughts
I genuinely believe that AI note-writing tools can change the game in your nutrition business, making client consultations smoother and taking the headache out of one of the most time-consuming admin tasks. Yes, there might be some initial worries about data security, accuracy, and client consent, but trust me – these companies have dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s and you can arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns. With free trials on offer, why not give them a go and see how much time you can save?
As an Online Business Manager (OBM) who helps nutrition business owners streamline their systems, I’m here to help you set up tools like these so you can focus on growing your business without drowning.
Ready to make your business more efficient? Let’s chat! Book a free call with me and let’s make your business run like a dream.
