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AIMODELRACE

Module 5 of 5 · Intermediate · 10 min read

Health and medical information

Understand health information, prepare for appointments and make sense of results with AI, safely and privately.

Key takeaways
  • 1Use AI to understand and prepare, never to replace diagnosis or treatment by a clinician.
  • 2Emergencies need emergency services, not a chatbot.
  • 3Check information against reputable medical sources and your own clinician.
  • 4Health data is sensitive. Think carefully before sharing it.

01Read this first

AI can explain medical terms well and help you have better conversations with clinicians. It can't examine you, doesn't know your full history, and can be wrong in ways that sound reassuring or alarming. Don't start, stop or change any medication or treatment based on AI output.

Watch out
Not medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, contact your local emergency number immediately. For any health concern, consult a qualified healthcare professional.

02Where AI helps

The safest framing is 'help me understand and prepare', not 'tell me what I have'.

  • Explaining medical terms, conditions and procedures in plain language.
  • Helping you understand what a test or result measures, so you can discuss it with your clinician.
  • Preparing for appointments: symptom timelines and questions to ask.
  • Summarising reputable health information you have found.
  • General wellbeing planning, such as meal ideas or activity routines, within your clinician's guidance.
  • For professionals: drafting patient information leaflets and admin documents, for review.

03The workflow

Tell the model your age range and relevant context if you're comfortable, but remember it still can't examine you.

  • If symptoms are severe, sudden or worrying, contact a professional or emergency services first.
  • Remove names and identifiers from anything you share.
  • Ask for explanations and questions, not diagnoses.
  • Check key information against reputable sources such as national health services and professional bodies.
  • Bring your notes and questions to your clinician.
  • Follow your clinician's advice over anything an AI says.

04Prompt: understand a term or result

Ask for an explanation and for what to discuss, not for a conclusion.

Example
My report mentions {{term or test}}. In plain language, explain what it means and what it generally measures, what can cause results to be higher or lower in general, and what questions I should ask my doctor about it. Don't try to diagnose me, and tell me if anything about this generally needs prompt medical attention.

05Prompt: appointment preparation

Organised information leads to better appointments.

Example
Help me prepare for a doctor's appointment. Here are my notes: <notes>{{symptoms, when they started, what makes them better or worse, current medications, relevant history}}</notes> Turn them into: a one-paragraph summary I can read out, a dated symptom timeline, my current medications list, and the 8 most useful questions to ask. Don't suggest a diagnosis.

06Prompt: checking information

Use AI to compare a claim with reputable sources.

Example
I read this health claim: "{{claim}}". Using reputable sources such as national health services, medical professional bodies or systematic reviews, tell me what the evidence says, how strong it is, and whether experts disagree. Link the sources. If the evidence is weak or mixed, say so plainly.

07Pitfalls

The goal is to become a better-informed patient, not your own doctor.

  • False reassurance: a calm answer can delay care you need. When in doubt, ask a professional.
  • Alarm: lists of possible conditions often include rare, serious ones. Discuss worries with a clinician.
  • Medication changes: never change doses or stop medication based on AI output.
  • Privacy: health data is highly sensitive. Check how a tool stores and uses it.
  • Professional use: clinicians must follow their organisation's rules and keep patient data out of unapproved tools.

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