Exploring AI-Augmented Sensemaking of Patient-Generated Health Data: A Mixed-Method Study with Healthcare Professionals in Cardiac Risk Reduction

Abstract: Individuals are increasingly generating substantial personal health and lifestyle data, e.g. through wearables and smartphones. While such data could transform preventative care, its integration into clinical practice is hindered by its scale, heterogeneity and the time pressure and data literacy of healthcare professionals (HCPs). We explore how LLMs can support sensemaking of patient-generated health data (PGHD) with automated summaries and natural language data exploration. Using cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction as a use case, 16 HCPs reviewed multimodal PGHD in a mixed-methods study with a prototype that integrated common charts, LLM-generated summaries, and a conversational interface. Findings show that AI summaries provided quick overviews that anchored exploration, while conversational interaction supported flexible analysis and bridged data-literacy gaps. However, HCPs raised concerns about transparency, privacy, and overreliance. We contribute empirical insights and sociotechnical design implications for integrating AI-driven summarization and conversation into clinical workflows to support PGHD sensemaking.