Prompt: MRI Shoulder Findings Plain-Language Explanation

MRI Shoulder Findings Plain-Language Explanation

Use this prompt to draft a plain-language explanation of MRI shoulder findings for a patient — particularly one who has already seen the radiology report and is worried.

Write a plain-language explanation of the following MRI shoulder 
findings for a patient aged [[patient_age — e.g. "54"]].

Findings: [[findings — e.g. "full-thickness supraspinatus tear, 
moderate retraction, no significant muscle atrophy; mild 
acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis; no long head of 
biceps abnormality"]]

The patient's main concern is: [[concern — e.g. "they have been 
told they may need surgery and are worried about what that means" 
or "they saw the word 'tear' in the report and are very anxious"]]

Explain:
- What the relevant anatomy is (in plain English)
- What each finding means
- What the finding does and does not imply about severity
- That the clinical significance depends on their symptoms and 
  will be discussed at the consultation
- That the next step is a clinical assessment

Do not recommend a treatment. Do not make any prediction about 
whether surgery will be needed. Tone: calm, informative, 
and honest. Maximum 300 words.

Why this works

Addressing the patient's specific concern in the prompt shapes the tone toward what this patient needs to hear — not a generic anatomy lesson. Explicitly instructing the tool not to recommend treatment or predict surgical need prevents the common error of a patient-facing document that appears to commit to a clinical decision that belongs in the consultation.

How to tweak it

• For a patient who found the report frightening and is catastrophising, add: "Open with a sentence acknowledging that medical reports can sound alarming, and that the terms used are technical and not meant to be read without clinical context."
• For a patient who is well-informed and specifically asked for detail, add: "This patient has a medical or science background and wants more detail than the average patient. Write at a slightly higher technical level — but still avoid jargon without explanation."

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