Across the globe, millions of people use artificial intelligence answer engine platforms (AI chatbots). ChatGPT, the most-used bot, receives more than a billion questions every day. Topics range from writing resumes to debugging software to celebrity fashion faux pas. And one of the most common topics is health and wellness. Users constantly ask chatbots questions related to health, and many rely on chatbots for medical advice.
Like Dr. Google, Dr. Chatbot can be useful in the right situations – but it shouldn’t be your go-to source or take the place of a healthcare provider. Chatbots aren’t always accurate and they don’t know you like your provider knows you.
Whether you’re a chatbot newbie or you’re basically best friends, it’s important to take a step back and think about when to use a chatbot for health advice.
Key Takeaways
- AI chatbots can be helpful for basic health information: resources, appointment prep, and understanding where to go for care.
- Use chatbots as a starting point, not a substitute: only a licensed healthcare provider can diagnose, prescribe, and deliver safe medical treatment.
- Always verify accuracy: AI answers may be outdated, incomplete, or even fabricated, so check reliable medical sources or ask your provider.
- Protect your privacy: don’t upload medical records or sensitive health information into chatbots, since they aren’t HIPAA-protected.
- When in doubt, talk to your provider: Duly Health and Care physicians across the Chicagoland area can guide you with safe, personalized care.
Here are the dos and don’ts when it comes to asking chatbots health and medical questions.
The Dos of Using Chatbots
Do Use Chatbots to Get the Basics
When you’re doing research, a chatbot is a great source for basic information. Chatbots consolidate information from several sources and lay it out clearly. Since it’s a conversation bot, it’s easy to ask follow-up questions.
Also read: When Care Can’t Wait: When to Visit an Immediate Care Center Instead of the Emergency Room
Do Ask Chatbots About Preparing for Appointments
When going to a medical appointment, it’s recommended that you come armed with questions. However, it’s not always easy to know which questions to ask.
This is a great time to turn to a chatbot, since it can tailor its responses to your personal needs and anticipate additional needs you might have that you haven’t even thought about. Take a look at a real-world example:
Real example:
Me: I am going to my primary care appointment. What questions should I ask? Keep in mind that I have chronic pain and am recovering from a head injury.
Chatbot: Here’s a list of targeted, thoughtful questions you might want to ask at your annual checkup:
Questions About Head Injury Recovery
- Am I healing at the expected pace for this type of injury?
- Are symptoms like headaches, dizziness, memory issues, or fatigue normal right now?
- Should I get a follow-up brain scan or neuro eval?
Questions About Chronic Pain
- Is my current pain management plan appropriate and safe?
- Are there other treatment options I should consider (like physical therapy, injections, or non-opioid medications)?
- Could this pain be related to my head injury or another underlying issue?
Mental Health and Lifestyle
- I’ve been dealing with a lot — can we screen for anxiety, depression, or brain fog?
- How much rest and activity are ideal right now?
- Could sleep, stress, or diet changes help my symptoms?
Do Use Chatbots to Learn About Where to Go for Care
First things first – whenever you’re experiencing a medical emergency, skip the online search and get help ASAP.
When you know it’s not an emergency but you’re not sure where to go for care, a chatbot can help you out. For instance, it can help you figure out if you should go to immediate care or schedule an appointment with your primary care provider (PCP). Or it could teach you about different specialists you may need to see for a medical condition.
Of course, you can always contact your provider to learn where to go. But a chatbot can give you a place to start.
A Word from Our Doctor
“I believe in partnering with my patients, guiding them through health decisions with personalized care that goes beyond what the Internet can provide.”
– Mariya S. Rampurwala, MD, Internal Medicine physician at Duly Health and Care
Dr. Rampurwala and our internal medicine team provide comprehensive primary care that AI cannot replace. Don’t rely on generic chatbot advice – schedule an appointment with a Duly Health and Care Internal Medicine provider for personalized care you can trust.
Find a Provider near you
Do Not Use Chatbots in Place of Medical Care
You can describe your symptoms to a chatbot and get a list of possible causes or treatments, but the only person who can diagnose you or prescribe treatment is a healthcare provider.
A chatbot knows how to comb through data, but it doesn’t have real-life experience. It can’t order an X‑ray, feel a lump in your body, or take your blood pressure. And even though it can tailor responses around your needs, it doesn’t actually know your medical history or know about all of your allergies. Exams and medical history are critical in making accurate diagnoses, prescribing a safe treatment, and ensuring that treatments are working.
Relying on a chatbot rather than your provider can put your health in jeopardy. Some examples of this include:
- If a chatbot tells you that your symptoms are normal, and you don’t get help, you could miss being diagnosed with something that needs to be treated right away.
- If a chatbot tells you that symptoms could be a sign of something serious (but they’re not), you could work yourself into a panic for no reason.
- If a chatbot recommends an over-the-counter medication, like a painkiller, but doesn’t know that you’re on another medication that shouldn’t be mixed with that painkiller, you could have a serious reaction.
Also read: Goodbye Dr. Google and Self-Diagnosis: 5 Pitfalls of Acting Like Your Own Doctor
Do Not Assume That Chatbots Are Always Right
While they’re surprisingly accurate, chatbots can also make mistakes – and in some cases, those mistakes can have dangerous consequences.
In one study, researchers asked a chatbot if there were interactions between the blood-pressure medication verapamil and Paxlovid (medication for COVID-19). The chatbot responded that it was safe to take the two together. However, mixing them can actually cause people to have large drops in blood pressure, which puts them at risk of fainting.
Also, the information might not be up to date. New research is constantly being published, and chatbots aren’t always aware of changes in data or recommendations.
Always ask a chatbot for its sources and make sure to check them yourself. Chatbots have also been known to fabricate sources, like giving URLs for studies that don’t exist.
Also read: Do TikTok Health Trends Actually Work — And Are They Safe?
Do Not Upload Your Medical Records to Chatbots
Giving a chatbot your medical records to parse through might seem like a good way to get more personalized responses. However, chatbots are not protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Chatbot conversations are private, and the companies behind them don’t share your information, but your records are still not quite as safe as they would be if protected by HIPAA. Uploading your records also opens up another opportunity to be hacked and have your private information leaked.
At the end of the day, remember that a chatbot didn’t go to medical school. It’s a good resource, but your best bet is always to talk to a healthcare professional who knows you and your medical history.
At Duly Health and Care, our team is dedicated to creating personalized care plans just for you, not generic advice from an AI. Need to be seen today? We offer same-day primary care appointments 7 days a week at our locations throughout Chicagoland, making it easier than ever to get the expert care you deserve.
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I am a firm believer in strong doctor-patient partnership. I spend time listening to my patients and meeting them where they are at in their healthcare journey. My goal is to provide them a personalized experience and establish long term-relationships. I believe in treating patients as a whole rather than focusing on the disease alone.
