How to Use ChatGPT to Explain Medical Results
Receiving medical test results can be scary, especially when they are full of confusing words and numbers. You stare at the page, seeing terms like "lipid panel" or "hemoglobin A1c," and your mind starts to race with worry before you’ve even talked to your doctor.
While AI cannot replace your doctor, it can act like a medical translator. It can take those complicated paragraphs and rewrite them in plain English, helping you understand what questions to ask at your next appointment. Think of it as looking up a word in the dictionary, but for a whole page of medical text at once.
Important Safety Note: As we emphasize in AI for Boomers, never share personal information like your full name, birth date, or social security number with AI. We will show you how to do this safely.
Step 1: Remove Your Personal Details Before you share anything with ChatGPT, you need to "sanitize" the information. This means removing anything that identifies you personally. The AI needs to see the medical numbers and terms, not your name.
If you are typing the results from a paper, simply leave out your name and ID numbers. If you are copying and pasting digital text, paste it into a blank document first and delete your name, address, and doctor’s name. If you are taking a photo of a report (which some paid versions of ChatGPT allow), cover your personal details with a piece of paper or sticky note before snapping the picture.
Step 2: Ask for a Simple Explanation Once your information is anonymous, you are ready to ask for help. You want to give the AI a clear role so it knows how to explain things to you.
Open ChatGPT and type this command: "I am going to paste some anonymous medical test results. Please act like a helpful nurse and explain what these terms mean in plain English for a patient. Do not give me a diagnosis, just explain what the tests measure." Then, type the test results or paste the text you copied. For example: "HDL Cholesterol: 38 mg/dL" or "White Blood Count: 12.0."
Step 3: Ask Follow-Up Questions The first answer might still have a few big words. The beauty of AI is that you can keep the conversation going until you understand.
If the explanation says "elevated leukocytes," you can type back: "What is a leukocyte and why would it be high?" You can also ask practical questions like, "What are good questions to ask my doctor about these results?" This helps you walk into your appointment feeling prepared and calm, rather than confused and anxious.
This tool is here to give you knowledge, not medical advice. Use it to lower your anxiety so you can have a better conversation with your actual doctor.