OpenAI Healthcare Prompt Templates

OpenAI released a Healthcare page that provides structured prompt templates for a variety of clinical workflows. The resource is intended to help clinicians use language models for tasks like test selection, differential diagnosis, care planning, documentation, patient counseling, care transitions, guideline review, and reference retrieval.

Prompt Template Structure

The page supplies fill‑in‑the‑blank templates that specify the clinician’s role, patient age, gender, key past medical conditions, chief complaint, acute symptoms, and care setting, followed by a clear instruction for the desired output.

I am a [clinical role, e.g., hospitalist, emergency physician, ICU fellow, NP, PA] caring for a [age]-year-old [gender] patient with [key past medical conditions] who presents with [chief complaint(s)] and [key acute symptoms or signs] in a [care setting, e.g., emergency department, ICU]. Based on this presentation, provide a focused diagnostic workup and test selection using [diagnostic methods, e.g., labs, imaging, microbiology] to evaluate for [suspected condition(s), e.g., sepsis, pneumonia, PE, stroke], and explain how the results would guide [initial management, triage, or treatment decisions] in a [clinical setting].

Diagnostic Test Selection

Templates guide users to request a focused diagnostic workup that includes labs, imaging, and microbiology, and to explain how results would direct initial management in an acute care setting.

Based on this presentation, outline a focused diagnostic workup and test selection, including labs, imaging, and microbiology, to evaluate for sepsis and possible pneumonia, and explain how the results would guide initial management in an acute care hospital setting.

Differential Diagnosis Generation

Templates ask for a prioritized differential diagnosis and instruct the user to distinguish a primary suspected condition from alternatives using history, physical examination, and basic diagnostic evaluation.

Generate a prioritized differential diagnosis for this presentation. For each diagnosis, explain what features of the history, exam, or initial tests would support or argue against it. Then explain how to distinguish [primary suspected condition] from [alternative diagnosis #1], [alternative diagnosis #2], and [alternative diagnosis #3] using bedside evaluation, labs, and imaging.

Assessment and Plan Creation

Templates request a problem‑based assessment that covers the pathophysiology of each active problem, diagnostics to trend or follow, a therapeutic plan (medications, fluids, procedures, monitoring), disposition and discharge planning, and how comorbidities affect management and trigger escalation or de‑escalation.

Create a problem‑based assessment and plan that includes: The pathophysiology driving each active problem Diagnostics to trend or follow Therapeutic plan (medications, fluids, procedures, monitoring) Disposition and discharge planning Highlight how [comorbidity or complication] affects management and what would trigger escalation or de‑escalation of care.

Clinical Note Documentation

Templates instruct the user to write a concise but thorough clinical note in real‑chart format, covering history of present illness, relevant past history and medications, focused physical exam, assessment with differential, and plan (diagnostics, treatment, follow‑up).

Write a concise but thorough clinical note including: History of present illness Relevant past history and medications Focused physical exam Assessment with differential Plan (diagnostics, treatment, and follow‑up) Format it the way it would appear in a real chart.

Patient Counseling and After‑Visit Instructions

Templates produce patient‑friendly after‑visit instructions that explain the condition, medication use, key diet and lifestyle recommendations, monitoring, red‑flag symptoms, and are tailored to a specified health‑literacy level.

Write patient‑friendly after‑visit instructions that explain: What the condition means How [medications] should be taken Key diet, lifestyle, and monitoring recommendations Red-flag symptoms that should prompt urgent care Use clear, non-technical language appropriate for a [health-literacy level] patient.

Care Transition Handoff

Templates outline the key information that must be communicated to the receiving provider, home health/rehab service, specialist) including active problems, medications, pending tests, home health or rehab service, and any applicable specialist, including active problems, medications, pending tests, functional status, and follow‑up needs, formatted as a clear handoff summary.

Outline the key information that must be communicated to: [receiving provider, e.g., primary care physician] [home health or rehab service] [specialist, if applicable] Include active problems, medications, pending tests, functional status, and follow‑up needs, formatted as a clear handoff summary.

Evidence‑Based Guideline Summary

Templates ask for a summary of current guideline‑based recommendations on diagnosis and risk stratification, first‑ and second‑line therapies, and prevention of complications, and then to explain how those guidelines apply to a specific patient given relevant risk factors or constraints.

Summarize the current guideline‑based recommendations for: Diagnosis and risk stratification First-line and second-line therapies Prevention of complications Then explain how these guidelines apply to this specific patient given [relevant risk factors or constraints].

Reference Retrieval and Application

Templates request a summary of the recommended initial evaluation for a clinical problem in a patient with relevant history, using an organization‑approved pathway if available, and to include key red flags, focused history and exam (including collateral sources, medications, or risk factors), recommended screening tools, baseline labs, and indications for imaging or specialist referral.

Summarize the recommended initial evaluation for [clinical problem, e.g., new cognitive concerns / new weakness / unexplained weight loss] in a [age]-year-old [gender] with [relevant history, e.g., prior ischemic stroke, heart failure, diabetes]. Use our organization’s [approved pathway / local guideline / service-line protocol] if available and link to the relevant section or document. Include key red flags, the focused history and exam (including [collateral sources, meds, or risk factors]), recommended screening tool(s), baseline labs, and when imaging [or specialist referral] is indicated.

Implications for Clinical Workflow

By providing structured prompts, the Healthcare page aims to reduce documentation burden, support clinical reasoning, and promote consistent, evidence‑based communication across various clinical settings.