AI in your health care: a double-edged digital disruptor

Introduction: a double-edged disruptor

Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly insinuated itself and is transforming nearly every corner of modern life. Health care is no exception. With the rise of advanced chatbots, symptom checkers, and health-focused algorithms, patients now have 24/7 access to vast medical knowledge at their fingertips in seconds. The excitement is understandable: AI can demystify medical “doctor-speak” or jargon, suggest possible diagnoses and treatment options, and empower patients to become more engaged in their care, becoming “activated,” meaning participating with confidence to manage their care and take more personal responsibility for following the prescribed treatment plan from their health care professionals.

As with any disruptive tool, there are pros and cons, meaning opportunities and pitfalls. Used wisely, AI can be a valuable assistant in your health journey. Used incorrectly or unwisely, it can become misleading or worse, dangerous. The key is balance: taking advantages of the benefits without ignoring the downside risks.

The upside: What AI can do for patients

Easy access to medical information 24/7, without waiting for appointments.
Improves health literacy by translating medical jargon into understandable language.
Decision support: helps patients generate better questions and identify red flags.
Convenience and potential cost savings by triaging minor concerns at home (similar in many respects to existing nurse advice lines that are available).
Personalization through reminders, lifestyle suggestions, and chronic disease support.
Record organization, including summaries of test results and visit notes (note, most of these are already present and available in EMRs if being used).
Educational role in prevention, offering evidence-based lifestyle strategies.

The downside: What AI cannot (and should not) do

Risk of misdiagnosis if symptoms are oversimplified or context is missing.
Delays in professional care when patients over-rely on AI.
False confidence in AI outputs, which cannot replace exams or lab testing.
Data privacy and security concerns, with sensitive health data potentially stored or shared.
Bias in algorithms, which may misrepresent underrepresented populations.
No accountability if something goes wrong.
Anxiety from long differential lists, sometimes highlighting rare diseases.
Inadequacy in complex cases requiring nuanced judgment or physical exam.

Best practices: How to use AI safely in your health care

Given all of this information, how is one to know how to safely use AI as it applies to their personal wellbeing and more importantly, their health care? The concept of “best practices” must be applied as in many other industries: like finance, cybersecurity, manufacturing, engineering, aviation, transportation, construction, and architecture. The application of a best practices approach in using AI in health care is the only way to protect patients’ safety, provide consistent care that is reliable and useful, and is an adjunct but not a replacement for professional care. Articulated below is an AI best practices outline for consideration:

Use AI for education, NOT diagnosis: It is excellent for preparing questions, looking up/clarifying medical terms, and exploring general guidelines — but it is not your doctor.
Know the red flags that always require care: chest pain, shortness of breath, neurological deficits, severe pain, heavy and/or continuous bleeding, allergic reactions, rapidly worsening symptoms, and emergencies in infants or pregnancy all mean skip AI and call the appropriate resource for help and/or 911.
Provide full context in your queries: Age, sex, important medical history like that involving your heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, medications, allergies, exposures, and objective numbers (like blood pressure or glucose). This will make outputs more useful.
Demand probabilities, not certainties: Ask for several possible explanations, what could make each more or less likely, and which are dangerous to miss.
Verify with authoritative sources: Always cross-check AI answers with NIH, CDC, specialty societies, or your own clinician.
Never change prescriptions or a treatment plan based on AI: Do not start, stop, or adjust medications without medical supervision.
Protect your privacy: Limit personal identifiers when using AI tools; be mindful of how your data may be stored or shared. Be aware that AI is not HIPAA compliant.
Recognize bias and blind spots: AI may miss conditions in women, children, older adults, and underrepresented groups.
Use AI as a prep tool for your doctor visit: Summarize your concern, timeline, signs and symptoms, what makes them better/worse, treatments tried, and top questions.
Trust your instincts: You know your body better than anyone. If something feels wrong, seek real care irrespective of what AI suggests.

In conclusion: an assistant or partner, but not a replacement

AI has enormous potential to empower patients, increase understanding, and streamline care — but it must be treated as an adjunct or partner tool, not a replacement for clinicians. Remember to keep in mind AI’s limits, verify its output against trusted sources, and follow best practices. AI is most useful for helping patients become more informed and engaged, while accountability remains with licensed professionals.

The future of health care is increasingly digital with EMRs, Google, and now AI — but safety, individual context, and human judgment will always remain the essential ingredients for optimal clinical outcomes.

AI safety and best practices: one-page guide for patients

When to use AI

Education on conditions, terminology, and guidelines
Preparing questions for your doctor
Lifestyle and wellness information (diet, sleep, exercise)

When NOT to use AI

To make or confirm a diagnosis
To decide on urgent/emergency care
To start, stop, or change prescription meds/doses

Red flag situations: Seek immediate care

Chest pain, trouble breathing, new weakness/numbness/confusion
Severe headache “worst ever,” high fever with stiff neck
Severe abdominal pain, heavy/continuous bleeding, allergic reaction
Rapidly worsening symptoms, pregnancy concerns, infants with illness
Bleeding that continues despite pressure, dressings, or ice

Best practices for safe use

Give complete context (age, history, meds, allergies, exposures)
Ask AI for probabilities, uncertainty, and danger signs
Cross-check AI with NIH, CDC, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, or specialty societies
Protect privacy: Avoid sharing identifying information
Do not self-medicate or change prescriptions based on AI advice

Practical tips

Use AI as a prep tool for your doctor visit
Keep a concise note with concern, timeline, questions, meds/allergies, key numbers
Document symptoms and test results with dates
Trust your instincts

Quick prompt template

“I am using this for education only. Give possible causes, danger signs, and questions to ask my clinician. I am a [age/sex], with [conditions/meds/allergies]. Symptoms started [when], are [better/worse with]. What would make this urgent?”

Alan P. Feren is a retired surgeon, independent physician, health care consultant, and patient advocate with more than 50 years of experience in clinical practice, system leadership, and health care innovation. Formerly in academic and community surgical practice, he has worked across the evolving landscape of managed care and clinical governance.

In the 1990s, Dr. Feren co-authored clinical guidelines that evolved into what is now MCG Health, now used by more than 80 percent of U.S. health plans and over 3,100 hospitals. He has advised health technology startups, helped shape managed care policy, and served as a clinical content developer for health care technology platforms.

His work centers on restoring shared understanding between clinicians and patients in an era defined by speed, fragmentation, and technological mediation. Drawing on both professional experience and his own journey as a complex patient, he writes about transparency, accountability, and the disciplined methods that make medical care trustworthy. He is a contributor to KevinMD and a podcast guest. More information is available at mypersonaladvocate.net and on LinkedIn.