Ai patients
We’re patients and caregivers learning to use AI as a thinking partner for health—not to replace our doctors, but to ask better questions, spot patterns we’d miss, and show up prepared.
What We’re Learning
People here are using AI tools to:
Ask better questions before appointments—not just organizing information, but figuring out what to ask
Explore “what if” scenarios with treatment options before making decisions
Connect patterns across test results, symptoms, and medications we might have missed
Think through appeal strategies for insurance—not just drafting letters, but reasoning about what will persuade
Challenge assumptions in our diagnoses and care plans
None of this replaces your doctor. But it changes how you show up in the room.
How to Think with AI
The rule we’ve learned:
AI is not a medical oracle. It’s a thinking partner.
Just like no competent doctor would review your data without asking clarifying questions, you shouldn’t treat AI as an answer machine. Here’s what we mean:
| Instead of This | Try This |
|---|---|
| What’s wrong with me based on these symptoms? | Help me organize these symptoms by timeline, severity, and context. Then help me think about what patterns might matter and what questions they raise for my doctor. |
| Should I take this medication? | I’m considering this medication. Help me think through the key tradeoffs: risks vs. benefits, how it interacts with my other conditions, what alternatives exist, and what I’d want to monitor over time. |
| Do I have [condition]? | I’ve been told I might have [condition]. Help me understand what would confirm or rule it out, what questions I should ask about the diagnostic process, and what’s commonly missed or overlooked. |
We talk about this inquiry-driven approach in our meetups. It’s the difference between passive consumption and active thinking—and it’s learnable.
The Bigger Picture
Most AI in healthcare is invisible to you. It serves hospitals and insurers—scheduling, risk scores, billing optimization. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not yours.
We believe AI should also serve patients. Not by giving you answers, but by helping you think more clearly, question more sharply, and participate more actively in your own care.
We call this AI health literacy: building the confidence and skills to use AI tools in ways that align with your values, your dignity, and your agency—not someone else’s workflow.
Want to go deeper? Read the framework behind this work, published by the National Academy of Medicine.
Is This for You?
This community is for you if:
You want to learn how to think with AI about health—not just get quick answers
You’ve asked ChatGPT or Claude a health question, even just once
You’re a caregiver navigating complex care for someone you love
You’re curious about AI but want honest conversation, not hype
You’re an advocate or researcher interested in patient-led AI use
Your experience level doesn’t matter. What matters is believing patients and caregivers deserve better tools and better information—and being willing to figure this out together.
Hugo Campos is a patient advocate, researcher, and cardiac patient who’s spent nearly two decades pushing for patient agency in healthcare. He’s written about AI as liberation technology, served on NIH and PCORI research initiatives, and kept getting asked: “How do I actually use this stuff for my health?”
So he started this community. Not as an expert teaching students—but as someone learning alongside you.
Join the Next Meetup
We meet every other month on Google Meet. People share short talks about how they’re using AI for health—what they tried, how it went, what they learned. No polished presentations. No lecturing. Just honest conversation among people figuring this out together.
What You’ll Get
Join online meetups where patients and caregivers share what’s actually working with AI for health
Hear real stories: what people tried, what helped, what didn’t
Share your own experience if you want to (about 10 minutes, totally optional)
Occasional updates on AI health literacy (no inbox flooding)
AI won’t replace your doctor. But it can help you think like a partner in your own care.