Prompt: Talking Points for a Difficult Consultation

Use this prompt to prepare for a consultation where a difficult or sensitive topic needs to be raised. Replace the items in {{double curly brackets}} with your own details.

Never paste real patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers, or any other identifying information into an AI tool.

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The Prompt

Draft consultation talking points for a discussion with a {{patient_age}}-year-old patient about {{difficult_topic — e.g. "the need to start insulin", "weight management and its effect on PCOS symptoms", "stopping a bisphosphonate without telling the clinic", or "an unexpected finding on imaging"}}.

The patient {{relevant_context — e.g. "has been resistant to the idea in previous appointments" or "is newly aware of this finding and is anxious" or "has not mentioned this at previous visits"}}.

I want the talking points to help me:
1. Acknowledge the patient's perspective without dismissing it
2. Explain the clinical rationale clearly and honestly
3. Address the most common concern patients have about this topic
4. Open a collaborative discussion about next steps

Tone: warm, non-judgmental, honest. Format as bullet points, not a script. No specific drug names or doses.

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Why This Works

Preparing structured talking points before a difficult conversation reduces the cognitive load in the room. You arrive with a framework rather than improvising under time pressure. The bullet-point format encourages adaptation to the actual person in front of you, rather than reading from a fixed script.

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How to Tweak It

• Add "Also suggest one open question I could ask the patient to start the conversation" if you want a specific opening line to get the discussion going.
• Add "The patient has expressed a specific concern about in previous appointments — please address this directly in the talking points" to tailor the output to a known issue.

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