The AI Readiness App course · Beginner · about 60 minutes · Free

AI for health and care work

Understand where AI helps in health and care, mainly with notes, letters and information, and where human judgment and privacy must come first.

For: Nurses, doctors, carers, therapists, pharmacists and other health and care staff.

1. Lesson 1

   Know where AI helps and where it must not decide

   Use AI only for the parts of care work it is suited to.

   1. AI can help draft letters, summarise information and prepare patient-friendly explanations.
   2. Diagnosis, treatment decisions and safeguarding judgments stay with qualified people.
   3. Use only tools your organisation has approved for clinical or patient information.

   Try this at work: List five tasks in your week and mark each one: suitable for AI drafting, needs AI only with approved tools, or never for AI.

   How to check it: Every task involving patient data is marked for approved tools only or never.

   Watch out: Using unapproved tools with patient information can breach the law and your professional duties.

2. Lesson 2

   Draft notes and letters with approved tools

   Save documentation time safely.

   1. Use your organisation's approved documentation or ambient note tool if it has one.
   2. Read every AI-drafted note in full before signing.
   3. Correct anything wrong; you are responsible for what you sign.

   Try this at work: If your organisation has an approved AI documentation tool, use it for one note and check every line against what happened.

   How to check it: The signed note is accurate, complete and in your professional judgment correct.

   Watch out: AI notes can record things that were not said, or miss things that were.

3. Lesson 3

   Explain things clearly to patients

   Turn complex information into plain language.

   1. Use a general assistant with no patient details to draft plain-language explanations of a condition or procedure.
   2. Check every statement against trusted clinical guidance.
   3. Adapt it for the person in front of you.

   Try this at work: Draft a plain-language explanation of a common procedure in your area with no patient details, then check it against your organisation's guidance.

   How to check it: Every statement agrees with trusted guidance and a patient could understand it.

   Watch out: Never rely on a general chatbot for clinical facts without checking an authoritative source.

4. Lesson 4

   Protect privacy every time

   Make privacy a habit.

   1. Remove names, dates of birth, addresses and record numbers before any non-approved use.
   2. Know who your data protection or information governance lead is.
   3. Report mistakes quickly.

   Try this at work: Find your organisation's AI or information governance guidance and note which tools are approved for patient information.

   How to check it: You can name the approved tools and the person to ask.

   Watch out: When unsure, do not paste.

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