Tutorial: Using an AI Tool to Prepare for a Difficult Consultation

Some consultations require more preparation than others. When you are about to tell a woman in her early thirties that she has premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), or explain to a patient with deep infiltrating endometriosis what surgical options mean for her fertility, the clinical content is clear in your mind — but having a structured approach ready makes the conversation go better.

This tutorial walks you through using an AI tool as a preparation partner before a difficult consultation. It takes about ten minutes and requires no technical knowledge beyond typing.

What you will do

You will use an AI tool to generate:

1. A list of questions the patient is likely to ask
2. A suggested structure for the consultation
3. A brief plain-language explanation of the diagnosis, to help you calibrate how you will phrase things

The scenario in this tutorial: you are about to consult with a woman in her late twenties who has been newly diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency. She does not yet know what this means for her fertility or her long-term health. She has attended alone.

Step 1: Open the tool and set the context

Open claude.ai or chat.openai.com and start a fresh conversation. Begin by telling the tool what you are preparing for:

I am a gynaecologist preparing for a consultation. I am about to tell a woman 
in her late twenties that she has premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). 
She does not yet know. She has attended alone.

I want help preparing for this consultation. Start by listing the questions 
she is most likely to ask — grouped by topic. Do not include clinical 
recommendations.

Step 2: Read the question list

The tool will produce a grouped list. Here is an example of what it might generate:

Understanding the diagnosis

• What does premature ovarian insufficiency mean?
• Why has this happened to me?
• Is this the same as early menopause?
• Is it permanent?

Fertility

• Does this mean I cannot have children?
• Are there any options for having a biological child?
• How quickly do I need to make decisions about fertility?

Treatment and management

• What will happen to my body now?
• Will I need to take medication? For how long?
• What happens if I do not take any treatment?

Long-term health

• How will this affect my bones and heart?
• Will I go through menopause symptoms now?
• Is there anything I can do to stay healthy?

Emotional and practical impact

• Should I tell my partner? My family?
• Where can I get support?
• Are there other women who have been through this?

Read through this list. Some questions you will have anticipated. Others may prompt you to think through your answer more carefully than you otherwise would have.

Step 3: Ask for a plain-language explanation of the diagnosis

If you want to calibrate your language for this patient — particularly if she has limited medical background — ask the tool:

Write a plain-language explanation of premature ovarian insufficiency 
that I could use as the basis for how I explain it verbally to a patient. 
Assume she has no medical background. Aim for the level of a clear, 
calm conversation between a doctor and a patient. Maximum 200 words.

Read the explanation it produces. You may not use it word for word. But reading it helps you think about where medical language could slip in without you noticing — and where a simpler phrase would land better.

Step 4: Request a suggested consultation structure

Now ask for a framework for the conversation:

Suggest a structure for this consultation. The patient does not know the 
diagnosis yet. The consultation should cover: breaking the diagnosis, 
allowing time for her initial reaction, explaining what POI means, covering 
the most important topics, and agreeing next steps. Suggest timing for each 
section if the consultation is 30 minutes.

The tool will produce a suggested structure. It might look like this:

0–5 minutes: Setting the tone. Confirm who is in the room and whether she wants to continue alone or have someone with her. Ask how she has been since her tests.

5–10 minutes: Breaking the diagnosis. Use clear, direct language. Pause after the diagnosis. Give her time to respond before continuing.

10–20 minutes: Explanation and questions. Explain what POI means in terms of ovarian function, symptoms, and long-term health. Answer her initial questions. Resist the urge to cover everything — she will not retain it.

20–27 minutes: Next steps. Cover the most immediately important clinical decisions. Provide written information.

27–30 minutes: Close. Ask whether she has any remaining questions. Confirm who she can contact.

This is a starting point. You know your own pace, your patient, and your consultation style. Accept what is useful, change what is not.

Step 5: Use the preparation, then set it aside

The value of this preparation is not to have a script — it is to have already thought through the hard parts before you walk in. You know what questions are coming. You have thought about your language. You have a structure in mind.

When you are in the room, be present with the patient. The preparation has done its job.

What the tool does badly

It cannot tell you how this specific patient will respond. Every patient brings her own history, her own fears, and her own way of processing information. The tool prepares you for the general case. Your clinical skill handles the specific one.

It also does not know your local fertility referral pathway, your hospital's psychological support services, or the current waiting time for any next step you need to offer. You supply all of that.

What to try next

Try this approach before a consultation you find consistently challenging — colposcopy results discussions, surgical consent for procedures that affect fertility, or breaking a gynaecological cancer diagnosis. The preparation takes ten minutes. The benefit accumulates over time.

Remember: AI is a helpful assistant, not a clinician. You make the call.