Understand Hospital Discharge Instructions
Discharge papers are dense. A plain list of what to do and when to call helps.
Step by step
- Remove identifiers from the text.
- Ask for a plain-language summary.
- List medicine changes.
- List warning signs.
- Confirm with the nurse or doctor.
What to expect
Expect a plain-language to-do list and a list of questions to ask before leaving or by phone afterward.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not rely on AI for dosing. Avoid stopping medicines without instructions. Do not paste names.
A good next step
Ask the hospital for a follow-up appointment before you go home.
A prompt you can copy
Type this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini
Here are my discharge instructions with names removed: [paste]. Rewrite them as a plain list of what to do each day, medicine changes and warning signs, and list questions to ask the nurse.
Good to know. Never ignore written warning signs. If worried, call your doctor or emergency services.
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Reserve a free seatCommon questions
Can AI replace the nurse?
No.
Who to call?
Number on the paperwork.