How to Use AI for Patient-Education Drafts at a Plain Reading Level (Clinician Must Verify)

Patient handouts are often written at a level that is hard for many people to follow. AI is good at rewording text in shorter sentences and plainer words, which makes it a useful first-draft tool for general education material (not for an individual patient's plan). This guide is part of the AI for Nurses hub.

Caution: Never put patient information (protected health information, PHI) into a general AI chatbot: no names, dates of birth or service, MRNs, room numbers, photos, or any detail that could identify a patient. Follow your employer's AI and privacy policy and HIPAA. AI is not clinical decision support: do not use it for diagnosis, dosing or care decisions. See AI for nurses: HIPAA and patient privacy. This is general information, not legal or clinical advice.

Use AI for wording, not for medical content

The safest workflow starts with content you already trust: your facility's approved handout, or a page from a reputable public source such as MedlinePlus. Paste that text (it contains no patient information) and ask the AI to rewrite it more simply. Do not ask the AI to write the medical content from scratch, because it can invent instructions, warning signs or numbers.

What plain language means

The CDC's guidance on plain language and its Clear Communication Index point to the same habits: put the main message first, use familiar words, keep sentences short, use headings and lists, and say clearly what the reader should do. You can ask the AI to follow these habits explicitly.

Teach-back still matters

A good handout does not replace asking patients to explain the plan in their own words (teach-back). Use the AI draft as a starting point for that conversation, and make it specific to the patient yourself, outside the AI tool.

Who approves it

Most facilities have a process for approving patient-education materials. A draft you made with AI is still a draft: have it reviewed by the person or committee that approves materials, and keep the source text on file.

A prompt that keeps patient data out

Rewrite the text below as a patient handout in plain language for adults.
Goals: short sentences, common words instead of medical terms (explain any term you must keep), the most important action first, headings, and a short bulleted list of when to call the clinic or seek urgent care exactly as the original says.
Do not add any medical information, numbers or warning signs that are not in the original text. If something is unclear, write [CLINICIAN TO CHECK] instead of guessing.
TEXT: [PASTE APPROVED, GENERAL EDUCATION TEXT HERE. NO PATIENT INFORMATION.]

Check it before you use it

• A clinician compared every medical statement with the approved source; nothing was added or dropped.
• Warning signs and when to call are exactly as the source states.
• No doses, numbers or instructions were invented; every [CLINICIAN TO CHECK] note is resolved.
• The reading level suits your patients, and you used teach-back in person.
• The handout was approved through your facility's process before use.
• No patient information was in the prompt or the output.

Related: how to check AI answers for mistakes, AI for nursing work emails and how to write better AI prompts.

Want more ready-made prompts for this kind of work? Get the free AI prompt pack for nurses (PDF).

Frequently asked questions

Can I paste a patient's discharge instructions into AI to simplify them?

No. Discharge instructions are usually specific to one patient and are PHI. Use general approved education text, and personalize it yourself outside the AI tool.

Which reading level should I aim for?

Many health organizations recommend plain language that most adults can follow quickly; there is no single number that fits every audience. Test with teach-back and follow your facility's standards.

Can AI translate patient materials into other languages?

AI translation can contain errors, and medical translation needs review by a qualified translator or interpreter service under your facility's process. Do not hand out AI-translated clinical instructions without that review.

Can the AI write the medical content itself?

It should not. Start from approved content and use AI only for the wording, then have a clinician verify the result.