These prompts were written for a U.S. outpatient day: the portal message that's four paragraphs long, the patient who wants a Z-Pak for a cold, the prior auth that came back denied, the return-to-work note HR asked for and the practice Instagram nobody has time to feed. Every one of them works with de-identified text or a made-up case. The diagnosis and the plan are still yours; ChatGPT for doctors is a writing assistant, not a colleague you can co-sign with.
How to get more out of ChatGPT before the prompts
- Say who is writing and to whom. "Family physician writing to a cardiologist" changes the whole letter.
- Forbid additions. The sentence "do not add any fact that isn't in my text; mark anything unclear as [VERIFY]" removes half the errors.
- Ask for the format. Bullets, table, word limit, reading level.
- Save what works in a ChatGPT Project or a Claude Project so you don't retype the context every day.
- No PHI on consumer plans. Plus and Free don't come with a BAA. Strip the 18 HIPAA identifiers first.
Prompts so the patient understands
1. After-visit instructions in plain English
When to use it: you know what to tell the patient and need text they'll actually read at home.
Rewrite the instructions below for an adult patient at a 6th-grade reading level. Rules: sentences of 15 words or fewer; no medical terms (if one is needed, explain it in parentheses); bullets; finish with "Call us or go to urgent care if:" listing only the warning signs in my text; do not add any instruction I didn't write. Instructions: [PASTE YOUR CLINICAL INSTRUCTIONS]
Tested with: "Lateral ankle sprain grade I. RICE 48-72h. Ibuprofen 400 mg q8h with food x 5 days PRN. Weight bear as tolerated, ankle brace. RTC 2 wks if not improving; sooner if unable to bear weight, numbness, cold/blue foot."
What you have: a mild ankle sprain. The ligaments on the outside of your ankle got stretched.
What to do for the next 2 to 3 days:
- Rest the ankle as much as you can.
- Put ice on it for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Use a cloth between the ice and your skin.
- Wear the ankle brace.
- Keep the foot raised on a pillow when you sit or lie down.
- You can walk on it if the pain allows.
For pain: take ibuprofen 400 mg every 8 hours with food, only if you need it, for up to 5 days.
Call us or go to urgent care if:
- You can't put any weight on the foot.
- Your foot feels numb.
- Your foot turns cold or blue.
- It isn't better in 2 weeks.
It turned "RICE" into four plain steps without adding anything. The 15 to 20 minutes for ice wasn't in my text, though; that's a small addition I'd accept, but it shows why you read before sending.
2. The patient who wants antibiotics for a cold
Write a short portal message (max 90 words), kind and firm, explaining to a patient why I didn't prescribe an antibiotic for [CONDITION]. No lecturing, no jargon. Include what helps at home: [WHAT YOU RECOMMENDED]. End with when to come back: [WARNING SIGNS].
3. Explaining a lab result without scaring anyone
Based on my interpretation below, write a portal message explaining the [TEST NAME] result to the patient. Max 120 words, calm tone: what the result means, what changes in practice and the next step. Do not interpret anything beyond what I wrote. My interpretation: [PASTE]
4. The four-paragraph portal message, summarized
Summarize the de-identified patient message below for me in 3 bullets: main question, any new symptom mentioned (quote it exactly), and what the patient is asking me to do. Then flag RED FLAG if any symptom suggests urgency. Do not answer the patient. Message: [PASTE]
This is the prompt I'd use most in a busy inbox. It doesn't reply; it sorts.
5. A reminder text that cuts no-shows
Write 3 versions of an appointment reminder text (max 160 characters each) for a primary care practice. Include day, time and how to reschedule. One version neutral, one warm, one that mentions there's a waitlist so cancelling early helps someone else. No health details in the text.
1. Reminder: your visit at Oak Family Medicine is Wed 11/11 at 10:00 AM. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule.
2. Hi! We're looking forward to seeing you Wed 11/11 at 10:00 AM. Reply C to confirm or R if you need a new time.
3. Your visit is Wed 11/11 at 10:00 AM. Can't make it? Reply R by tomorrow so a patient on our waitlist can take the spot.
Version 3 is the one I'd test first. Telling people a neighbor is waiting works better than any fee threat.
Prompts for documents
6. Prior authorization letter, criterion by criterion
Write a letter of medical necessity for [DRUG / PROCEDURE]. Use ONLY the de-identified clinical facts below. Answer each criterion of the payer policy in order, one heading per criterion. If no fact supports a criterion, write [MISSING: what's needed]. Under 350 words. Payer criteria: [PASTE] Clinical facts: [PASTE]
7. Peer-to-peer prep in five minutes
I have a peer-to-peer review for a denied [REQUEST]. Using the denial reason and my de-identified notes below, give me: the 3 strongest facts in my favor, the likely objection from the reviewer for each, and a one-sentence answer to each objection. Flag any gap in my documentation. Denial reason: [PASTE] Notes: [PASTE]
8. Return-to-work or school note
Write a return-to-work note for an employer. Include only: dates the patient was under my care, date they may return, and restrictions: [RESTRICTIONS] until [DATE]. Do not include any diagnosis. Professional, under 100 words, with a line for my signature and credentials.
The "do not include any diagnosis" line matters. The employer doesn't need it, and the patient didn't authorize it.
9. Referral letter to a specialist
Write a referral letter from a [YOUR SPECIALTY] to a [SPECIALIST]. Use only the de-identified summary below. Structure: reason for referral in one line, relevant history, current medications, what I've tried, the specific question I want answered. Max 200 words. Summary: [PASTE]
10. Check your own text before signing
Review the text below for internal contradictions (e.g., "no allergies" and later "allergic to penicillin"), unclear abbreviations, missing dates and anything a reader could misinterpret. List the problems; do not rewrite the text. Text: [PASTE]
Prompts for studying and staying current
11. Critical read of a paper
Using ONLY the attached paper: design, population, primary outcome, effect size with confidence interval, absolute risk reduction and NNT if calculable from the data, limitations the authors admit and one they don't. Cite the section for each item. If it isn't in the paper, write "not reported."
12. Differentials as a check, not an answer
Fictional case for study: [CASE]. My working differential is: [YOUR LIST]. Without telling me which is correct, list up to 3 diagnoses I haven't considered that fit the case, and for each one the single finding or test that would make it more or less likely.
Case tested: 34F, 3 weeks of fatigue, palpitations, 4 kg weight loss, tremor. My list: hyperthyroidism, anxiety, anemia.
1. Pheochromocytoma: paroxysmal episodes with headache and sweating; plasma free metanephrines.
2. New-onset type 1 diabetes: weight loss with polyuria and polydipsia; fasting glucose or A1c.
3. Stimulant or supplement use: ask about pre-workout products, diet pills or prescription stimulants; history comes before any test.
Useful as a mirror. It doesn't know the patient in front of you, and it isn't supposed to.
13. One-page guideline summary
Summarize the attached guideline in one page for a primary care physician: what changed from the previous version, the 5 recommendations that affect daily practice with their strength of evidence, and what the guideline says not to do. Quote the section number for each.
14. Board review questions from your weak spots
Write 5 board-style multiple-choice questions on [TOPIC], with a clinical vignette, 5 options and an explanation of why each wrong answer is wrong. Level: [ABIM / ABFM / OTHER]. Do not cite sources; I'll check the facts myself.
Prompts for running the practice
15. Front-desk script for the most common calls
Write a front-desk script for these 6 recurring calls: [LIST, e.g., "do you take my insurance", "how much is a visit without insurance", "can I get a refill without a visit"]. For each: a short answer from our policy below and the exact sentence to transfer to a nurse when it's clinical. Policy: [PASTE]
16. Cancellation and no-show policy patients don't hate
Write our cancellation and no-show policy for the patient intake packet. Facts: [NOTICE REQUIRED], [FEE IF ANY], [EXCEPTIONS]. Under 150 words, friendly but clear, explaining why (other patients are waiting). Add a 1-sentence version for text reminders.
17. Responding to a bad online review without breaking HIPAA
Draft a public reply to the online review below. Rules: do not confirm the person is or was a patient; no details of any visit; thank them, state our general commitment, and invite them to call the office manager at [PHONE]. Max 60 words. Review: [PASTE]
This one keeps practices out of trouble. HHS has fined providers for replying to reviews with patient details.
Prompts for social media inside the rules
18. Four weeks of educational content
Plan 4 weeks of Instagram content (3 posts a week) for a [SPECIALTY] practice in [CITY]. Educational only: myths, when to see a doctor, prevention. For each post: format (Reel, carousel, single image), hook in under 10 words and the one takeaway. No patient stories, no before-and-after, no promises of results.
19. 30-second Reel script
Write a 30-second Reel script on [TOPIC] for a physician speaking to camera. Hook in the first 2 seconds, 3 short points, closing line "This is general information, not medical advice for your case." Add on-screen text for each scene.
20. Check a caption before posting
Review this caption for a physician's account. Flag: any promise of results, testimonial or patient detail, misleading claim, undisclosed sponsorship (FTC), and anything that could break state medical board advertising rules. Suggest a safer version of each flagged sentence. Caption: [PASTE]
Common mistakes with ChatGPT in medicine
- Leaving the name in the header of a pasted note. Check the top and the signature block.
- Copying a dose or a code from the answer without checking the label, the reference or the code set.
- Trusting a citation you didn't open.
- Sending patient-facing text without reading it. California's AB 3030 even requires a disclaimer when AI-written clinical messages aren't reviewed by a provider.
- Writing vague prompts. "Help me with this patient" gets a vague answer; "rewrite this for a 6th-grade reader" gets a usable one.
Which tool I'd use for these prompts
ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro (US$ 20 a month each) run every prompt here with de-identified text. For papers, OpenEvidence or NotebookLM, because they stay inside real sources. For anything with real patient data, only a tool your practice covered with a BAA. The bigger map, with scribes and costs, is in AI for medical practices in 2027. And if the reminder prompts made you think "I wish this ran on its own," that's exactly the front-desk scheduling agent.
Want to skip this part?
Ready-made AI agents for medical practices: nothing to build, no prompts, they already work for you by text message.
- Book, confirm and reschedule visits 24 hours a day
- Offer cancelled slots to your waitlist automatically
- Never answer symptoms: they hand off to your team with a summary and an urgency flag
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ChatGPT prompt for doctors?
The plain-English instructions prompt saves the most time because it becomes a template. The key line is forbidding the AI to add any instruction you didn't write.
Can I ask ChatGPT for a diagnosis?
Only as a check on your differential, with a fictional or de-identified case, after you formed your own list. The diagnosis and the plan are yours.
Is the free ChatGPT good enough for a physician?
For testing, yes. For daily use, a paid plan gives higher limits and lets you turn off training on your data. Real patient data needs a plan covered by a BAA.
How do I stop ChatGPT from making things up in a letter?
Tell it not to add any fact that is not in your text and to mark gaps as [VERIFY] or [MISSING]. Then read it line by line before signing.
