Use these 5 easy prompts to protect your health and privacy
It usually plays out like this: You have a medical concern, but you don’t want to spend the time and money seeing your doctor. And it’s not really an urgent care issue. And you’re just not in the mood for a telehealth visit. Of course! Why not ask AI? It’s free, it’s easy and you can do it right now.
In the U.S., about 1 in 3 adults is turning to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude for health information and advice, but are they risking their health and privacy by trusting a chatbot?
The smarter, safer way to use AI for health concerns is to treat these as research assistants — not as substitutes for the personalized care and guidance you get from your doctor.
These five easy prompts from the American Medical Association (AMA) can help you get the most out of your health-related AI session. The idea is to use AI to explore possibilities, not to be your doctor.
- Explore what may be the problem
“I have these symptoms [description]. What are common causes, how do they differ and what details would help narrow them down?”
- Ask for simple answers
“Explain this to me in simple words: [medical term, doctor’s diagnosis or instructions].
- Add details that matter
“Given my situation [my age and gender, lifestyle, goals, etc.] what do I need to know?”
- Know your options
“What are the different ways to treat [diagnosis name] and what are the benefits, risks and side effects of each?”
- Prepare for your visit
“What questions should I ask my doctor to better understand this situation?”
Don’t be fooled into thinking that AI is actually “thinking” about your medical condition. That’s the job of your doctor. AI can only gather and arrange information that you give to it and what is available on the worldwide web. Here’s what the AMA suggests people using AI keep in mind:
- AI can’t diagnose or know your full medical history.
- AI may rely on incomplete, outdated or incorrect information.
- Beware: AI can sound confident, even when it’s wrong.
- Your results depend on how you ask your questions.
Always protect your health data when interacting with AI. The internet is not secure, so avoid sharing personal or identifying details. Most importantly, never rely on AI for emergencies, diagnosis or treatment decisions, or as a replacement for your physician. For serious or sudden symptoms, call 911.
