Teaching Patients Prompt Engineering: The Next Frontier in Health Literacy

Why every pregnant woman should know how to “talk to AI” before she Googles her next symptom.

When I trained in medicine, the smartest patients were the ones who came prepared with a notepad of questions. Today, the smartest ones come prepared with a well-crafted prompt.

“Doctor,” one patient told me recently, “I asked ChatGPT to summarize ACOG’s guidelines on gestational diabetes and it explained it better than Google ever did.” She wasn’t bragging—she was adapting.

We are entering an era where knowing how to ask matters as much as knowing what to ask. That is what “prompt engineering” is: the new form of health literacy.

From Googling to Guiding

For decades, patients have relied on search engines that reward keywords over context. Type “pain in pregnancy” into Google, and you get ads, opinions, and panic. But type “You are an experienced obstetrician. Explain causes of lower abdominal pain at 28 weeks in simple terms, list red flags, and when to call a doctor” into ChatGPT, and you get a personalized, structured answer—often safer and more actionable.

Prompt engineering is not programming. It is structured curiosity. It is how people shape AI to serve their needs without being misled by it.

Why It Matters in Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an information storm. Expectant parents navigate thousands of questions, from diet to delivery. Good prompts turn confusion into clarity. Bad prompts amplify anxiety.

Learning prompt design helps patients:

• Ask AI in a way that reflects their stage of pregnancy and medical background.

• Avoid misinformation and tailor AI to evidence-based guidelines.

• Get answers they can take to their clinician for discussion, not substitution.

AI is not replacing the obstetrician, but it can help bridge the time between visits and strengthen shared decision-making.

The Ethics of Empowerment

Doctors often worry that AI might overwhelm or mislead patients. That risk exists, but so does the opportunity to make AI teach better questions. Ethically, empowering patients to use AI responsibly is the 21st-century version of teaching them how to read a lab report or understand a prescription.

When patients know how to prompt wisely, they do not become doctors—they become partners.

TOP TIP: UPGRADE YOUR AI VERSION

Most people don’t realize how far apart the free and paid versions of AI really are. Using a free model is like being seen by a medical student on their first clinical rotation—eager, well-meaning, and able to answer basic questions. But using a paid, advanced AI model is like consulting a top specialist who has years of experience, deeper reasoning, and access to the latest evidence. The difference isn’t small. It’s the gap between general curiosity and true expertise, and in health matters—especially pregnancy—it can mean the difference between surface answers and genuine understanding.

Top 20 Tips for Creating Excellent Health Prompts (Next for Subscribers)