AI in health and medical writing

In recent years, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various industries has been revolutionary. Healthcare, in particular, has seen significant advancements through AI applications, from diagnostic tools to personalised treatment plans. But is there a place in AI for health and medical writing?

What is AI?

Most of us already use AI in our day-to-day personal and work life.

For example, we use face recognition to open our phones. AI algorithms determine what shows up in our social media feed, based on what we’ve already looked at. Netflix serves up recommendations based on our viewing preferences. And where would we be without Google — whether it’s performing an internet search or helping us navigate while driving?

When it comes to using AI in relation to content creation, most people think of AI writing platforms that generate text based on prompts entered into the program. The most commonly known is Chat GPT, however there are many others out there.

These online writing platforms are essentially AI chatbots that use language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue.

However, AI is so much more than online writing platforms and engineered conversations. Some AI programs assist in reference searches, management of data and citations. Others help with keyword research when writing content for the web, and other programs assist in reviewing copy before it’s published. There are even tools that can assess whether content has been written by AI or by a human.

Like anything, there are pros and cons to using AI in health and medical writing.

AI in health and medical writing: does it and should it, have a place? Share on X

Things that AI can do well for health and medical writing

I believe AI has a place when writing health and medical content. There are some things that it does reasonably well which can make the writing process better.

Identify and manage research

AI tools can help writers find and identify relevant research studies, clinical guidelines and other important resources to use when writing copy. There are also programs available to help collate and manage this research during writing projects.

Generate ideas

AI can be a great tool to generate ideas, outlines or even headings for blogs, articles and web pages. When faced with a blank page, many writers find that AI is the key to helping unblock writer’s block.

Increase efficiency

Some health writers use AI to speed up their writing process by using it to analyse vast amounts of scientific literature quickly, generate first drafts, and automate repetitive tasks like formatting and reference management.

Increase accessibility

AI can help simplify complex medical jargon, making content more understandable for a general audience. This can be very helpful when taking highly scientific writing found in research studies and translating it into plain language.

Assist with accuracy

As I mentioned earlier, AI tools can help by checking work for spelling and grammatical errors, readability levels and consistency in writing.

However, it’s crucial to understand that while AI can be a powerful tool, it’s not a replacement for human expertise.

There are some things that AI does reasonably well which can make the writing process better. Share on X

Problems with using AI for health and medical content

While AI is improving all the time, there are some things that it can’t do yet, and some things that I don’t believe it will ever be able to do.

Poor fact-checking

If you ask an AI platform to provide references, it will. But you don’t want to stake your life on the accuracy of these. There are many stories of people asking for references, and then when they check them, they either don’t exist, or they’re wrong. A few people I know asked their AI platform where it found the references and were told that the platform made them up!

Inability to assess for relevancy

While we’re still on the subject of references, AI has a hard time determining if the study it’s citing is actually relevant to a piece of writing. This is certainly the case when citing ‘acceptable evidence’ for content that must comply with AHPRA advertising guidelines. ‘Acceptable evidence’ must rank highly in six categories – something that AI has a hard time sorting out.

Can’t adhere to legislation

AI tools don’t have a great understanding of relevant legislation that some health and medical writing requires. For example, it knows nothing about adhering to AHPRA advertising guidelines or TGA regulations for advertising therapeutic goods. Even if you provide the prompts to the AI platform, you’d still need to cross-check whether AI got it right. And with fines as high as $120,000 for non-compliant advertising under AHPRA, is that something you’d want to risk to a robot?

Hard to be human

While AI has made significant strides in healthcare, it often falls short in capturing the human aspect that is crucial in medical communication. AI-generated content can lack the nuance and empathy required when discussing sensitive health topics and may struggle to understand the emotional context behind medical conditions and treatments. This can potentially lead to tone-deaf or insensitive content. Moreover, AI cannot replicate the personal experiences and insights that human writers bring to their work, which are essential for creating relatable and engaging health content

Uses robotic language

AI platforms often rely on pre-programmed algorithms that can lead to the use of robotic language and repetitive phrases. But this only ends up diluting an organisation’s unique voice. AI-generated content often lacks variety and creativity, and comes across as generic, uninspired, and impersonal. As a result, health organisations may find it difficult to connect with patients and the wider community on a more personal, empathetic level.

It’s only as good as the prompts you give it

At the end of the day, AI is just a robot. It can’t think for itself and the content it produces is only as good as the prompts it’s given. Most of us are not expert AI prompt engineers and so using AI to create health and medical content can sometimes cause more work due to the need to significantly edit content. Many health writers I know (me included), often find it quicker and easier to write content from scratch because we know that our first draft (usually) needs less editing and tweaking than AI-generated content.

Can’t accurately tell if the content is AI or human-written!

There are many AI tools out there that claim to be able to check if content is written by a human or AI-generated. Well, surprise, surprise, these aren’t accurate either. I, along with many of my colleagues have put AI-generated content into a checker and it was assessed as being 100% human content. Other times, the AI check claimed that 100% human content was AI-generated. The accuracy of these checkers also varies from platform to platform, so they’re not a reliable tool to use at all.

AI-generated copy isn't always accurate or reliable. We still need humans when writing health content. Share on X

Does the Melbourne Health Writer use AI?

So the big question is…do I use AI to create content?

YES … and NO.

All content written by me is 100% human copy. However, I do use AI tools along the way to assist me in creating the content. The AI tools I use are bolded, and links to particular tools are affiliate links (in case you’re interested in checking them out).

Client briefings and discussions

I use several online meeting programs to talk with my clients with the online program often based on the client’s preference. These include Zoom, Google Meet and Teams.

Planning and research

When planning out a project, I use Google Calendar to schedule all the time dedicated to projects, along with key tasks, milestones and agreed deadlines.

In this initial stage, I use tools like Google Scholar, PubMed or Connected Papers to conduct preliminary research on health topics. This is to identify any research studies that may be used to support content in the copy.

Drafting

During the drafting phase, I use Microsoft Word or Google Docs, depending on the client’s preference, to create the content.

I may use an AI platform to generate ideas for content and for headlines. My favourite platform is Magai. This is an AI platform that has several AI tools at it’s disposal including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Llama.

When conducting keyword research for SEO-optimised copy I use Mangools Keyword Finder and Keywords Everywhere. These tools help me to understand what keywords we should target, check for search volume and to identify competitors who are already ranking in Google.

I also recommend DepositPhotos to clients who need to find stock photos to accompany their health content.

When sending copy to clients, I use Loom video recording software to explain the copy and highlight any further information I need from my clients.

If my projects require interviews, I use Rev to transcribe these conversations.

The Melbourne Health Writer uses AI to assist with content creation, but all copy is 100% human-written copy! Share on X

Review and revision

Throughout the review and revision process, I use Microsoft’s Track Changes feature to keep track of all revisions and feedback.

Fact-checking and reference management

I often use Zotero for reference management and citation generation. This tool helps ensure that all data, statistics, and medical facts are up-to-date and correctly cited.

Final review and delivery

I use tools like Grammarly for grammar and syntax checks and Hemingway Editor for readability assessments. I also use Microsoft Editor to check for readability and consistency.

Financials

I use Xero software to create quotes, issue invoices and manage all my financials.

Despite my use of AI throughout the copy creation process, I guarantee the copy I deliver is 100% human copy.

My thoughts on AI in health and medical writing

AI technology is still limited

AI can be a powerful tool, but it’s not a replacement for a human writer.

Effective health communication requires more than just accurate information — it needs empathy, nuance, and a deep understanding of human experiences — which is what I bring to my writing.

While AI can process vast amounts of data quickly, it lacks the ability to connect with readers on an emotional level or grasp the subtle complexities of health issues. Bringing a human touch to writing health and medical information is important when creating engaging, empathetic, and effective health content.

Content must be tailored to specific audiences, consider cultural sensitivities, and draw from personal insights—qualities that AI currently can’t replicate.

When complying with AHPRA advertising guidelines it’s critical to write copy that won’t land my clients in hot water. This requires human judgment and expertise. With client credibility at stake and the risk of expensive fines, this is something that’s too important to let a robot tackle. Writing compliant copy also requires creativity and problem-solving abilities, and being able to answer the question – “How can we say what we want to say without breaking the law?” I’m not sure that AI has the capacity to do that just now.

Clients hire me – not a robot

Finally, my clients hire me in good faith to write copy, not input prompts into an AI writing platform and hope for the best.

They hire me because I have over 30 years’ of writing experience with over 15 years focusing on health and medical writing. They hire me because of my proven ability to distil complex medical jargon into clear, accessible language that resonates with patients and the wider community.

They hire me because of my commitment to writing evidence-based content based on the latest scientific research, not anecdotal evidence or ‘facts’ pulled from an AI platform.

They hire me because of my deep understanding of AHPRA advertising guidelines, what they really mean for health practitioners advertising their practices, and my ability to write compliant content.

They also hire me because I’m responsive, reliable, never miss a deadline and am very easy to work with. My collaborative approach means I have great relationships with my clients which makes working with me a positive experience.

And guess what? I developed all of these skills long before AI-generated content was even a thing.

So, if you want a health and medical writer who can use AI for good, yet still deliver credible, engaging, accessible, human-written content, and make life easier for you, get in touch.

Cheers
Nerissa