Use AI to draft clear, empathetic discharge instructions that patients can easily understand and follow.
1. Open ChatGPT or Claude and describe the patient scenario in general terms—no real names or identifying details. Include the diagnosis, key medications started or changed, activity restrictions, warning signs, and follow-up plan. 2. Ask the AI to draft discharge instructions written at a 6th-grade reading level, using short sentences and everyday language instead of medical jargon. 3. Review the draft and ask the AI to add a simple bullet list of "red flag" symptoms that should prompt the patient to seek immediate care, written in plain language they'll recognize. 4. Request that the AI organize the instructions with clear headings like "Your Medicines," "What You Can Do at Home," "Warning Signs," and "Next Steps" so patients can quickly find what they need. 5. Read through the final version carefully. Adjust any details that don't match your clinical plan, verify medication names and dosing, and personalize any sections that need your specific guidance. 6. Use this polished draft as the foundation for your actual discharge paperwork, saving time while ensuring patients leave with instructions they can actually understand and follow. Remember: always verify clinical accuracy and never input real patient data into the AI tool.
Try this prompt today
“I need to write discharge instructions for a patient with uncomplicated pneumonia being sent home on antibiotics. Write instructions at a 6th-grade reading level with these sections: (1) what happened and the diagnosis, (2) medications to take at home, (3) what to do for symptom relief, (4) warning signs to watch for, and (5) follow-up plan. Use short sentences, avoid medical jargon, and make it easy for a non-medical person to understand and follow.”
March 18, 2026
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