GuideGemini, or any AI app 5 Oct 2026 · 5 min

How to use AI to prepare questions for a doctor's visit

Write down your notes, open a private chat in Gemini or another AI app, and paste our prompt. The AI gives you a 30-second summary, a timeline, eight questions for your doctor and the details a doctor usually asks about. Then turn it into a one-page note to show on your phone. It takes about five minutes, and the AI never diagnoses you.

Open Loop NewsAI-assisted guide: every step checked against the official help pages, every prompt tested before we publish.

What you need

App	Gemini on a computer, with a personal Google Account (any AI app works if you paste your notes)
Cost	Free. A free account is enough for this
Time	About 5 minutes
You need	Rough notes about why you are going: when it started, what changed, medicines you take, allergies

Step by step

Step 1: Write rough notes, and leave out ID numbers
On paper or in a notes app, jot down why you are going, when it started, what makes it better or worse, what you already tried, the medicines you take and any allergies. Keep it rough. Leave out your full name, ID number, insurance number and address: the AI does not need them.
Step 2: Open a private chat
Health notes are personal, so use a chat that is not saved if your app has one. In Gemini, go to gemini.google.com and click Temporary chat next to New chat. Gemini's help page says a temporary chat won't appear in your Gemini Apps Activity or your recent chats, and that you lose access to it when you leave. It needs a personal Google Account, not a work or school one.
Tip: Using another app? Look in its help pages for a temporary or private chat option. If it has none, share only what you are comfortable having saved.

Step 3: Paste this prompt and send it

Change the words in [brackets]. The prompt tells the AI not to diagnose, which keeps the answer on what you can actually use in the room.

Prompt to copy

I have a doctor's appointment about [a dry cough that has lasted 3 weeks]. Help me prepare. Here are my notes: [started after a cold; worse at night; no fever now; I take ibuprofen sometimes; allergic to penicillin; honey and lemon tea did not help].

Do not diagnose me or suggest treatments. Give me:
1. A summary I can read out in 30 seconds.
2. My notes as a short timeline.
3. 8 questions to ask the doctor, most important first.
4. Things a doctor usually asks that I did not mention, so I can find the answers before I go.

Keep it under 300 words.

Step 4: Check it, then make a one-page note
Read the answer against your own notes and fix anything wrong. Add the missing details from item 4. Then ask for a short version you can show on your phone or print.
Prompt to copy
```
Turn this into one page I can show my doctor: the 30-second summary at the top, then the 5 most important questions. Plain text, no extra advice. Use only what is in my notes.
```

Step 5: After the visit, write down what was said

Type or paste what you remember. The AI tidies it. It does not add medical advice.

Prompt to copy

Here are my notes from the visit: [what the doctor said; any tests or medicines; when to come back]. Put them in three lists: what the doctor said, what I need to do and by when, and what I should ask the clinic if anything is unclear. Do not add any advice of your own.

What you get

1. Summary: "I have had a dry cough for 3 weeks. It started after a cold and is worse at night. No fever now. I take ibuprofen sometimes and I am allergic to penicillin. Honey and lemon tea did not help." 2. Timeline: 3 weeks ago, a cold. Cold gone, cough stayed. Now: dry cough, worse at night, no fever. 3. Questions: What could be causing a cough that lasts this long? Is any test needed? Could my ibuprofen matter? Which medicines are safe with a penicillin allergy? What should I do at night? How long before this counts as a concern? What signs mean I should come back sooner? When should I follow up? 4. Doctors often ask: Do you smoke or live with someone who does? Any wheezing or breathlessness? Any recent travel? What other medicines or supplements do you take?

Example answer from Claude on 5 Oct 2026, for made-up notes about a three-week cough. Shortened. Yours will be worded differently.

Common mistakes

Asking the AI what is wrong with you. It cannot examine you. The prompt says not to diagnose, so keep that line.
Waiting for the visit when it is urgent. For chest pain, trouble breathing or another emergency, call your local emergency number.
Sharing ID, insurance or address details. Leave them out of your notes.
Taking the question list as final. Cut it to the few that matter most and add your own.

Questions people ask

Can AI tell me what is wrong with me?

No. It cannot examine you and it can be wrong. This guide uses it only to organise your notes and your questions. Your doctor decides what is wrong and what to do.

Is it safe to put health notes into an AI app?

Share as little as you can. Leave out names and ID numbers, and use a temporary or private chat if your app has one. In Gemini, a temporary chat won't appear in your Gemini Apps Activity or recent chats.

What if I cannot find Temporary chat in Gemini?

Gemini's help page says it needs a personal Google Account, so it is not available with a work or school account. It is also not available in Gemini in Chrome or Gemini in Google Messages.

Does this work in ChatGPT or Claude?

Yes, the prompts work in any AI app, because you only paste text. We checked the private chat steps in Gemini only, so check the other apps' help pages for theirs.

Checked against

OfficialGemini Apps Help: Use Gemini Apps (start a temporary chat)

AI apps change their buttons often. If a step no longer matches what you see, email hello@openloopnews.com and we will update this guide.