This page is about getting better outputs from an evidence-first medical AI search tool—without turning your workflow into a research project. The goal is: reproducible prompts, explicit citations, and clean verification habits.
Default posture: treat AI as a fast librarian
You are not asking for ‘truth’. You are asking for: (1) likely references, (2) a structured summary, and (3) uncertainty flagged clearly.
Prompt patterns that work (copy/paste structure, not content)
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Pattern 1 — Define the output format first
Start with: “Return: 5 bullets, then a 3-row table, then the top citations.” Format constraints reduce rambling and force structure.
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Pattern 2 — Force citations and dates
Add: “Cite primary sources. Include publication year and journal/source name.”
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Pattern 3 — Ask for ‘best evidence + guideline + review’ triad
Ask for: one guideline, one systematic review, and one key primary study (when available). This reduces cherry-picking.
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Pattern 4 — Ask for uncertainty and limitations explicitly
Add: “List what is uncertain, controversial, or low-evidence.”
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Pattern 5 — Ask for ‘what would change the answer’
Add: “What missing detail would materially change the conclusion?” This keeps you honest and prevents overconfidence.
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Pattern 6 — Use negative constraints
Add: “Do NOT invent details. If unknown, say unknown.” (Surprisingly effective.)
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Pattern 7 — Keep prompts non-identifiable by default
Avoid patient identifiers unless your governance explicitly allows it. Use abstracted descriptors if needed.
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Pattern 8 — Ask for a verification checklist
Add: “Give a 5-step checklist to verify this answer in primary sources.”
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Pattern 9 — Ask for a one-sentence ‘safe summary’
Add: “Give a single sentence that is safe to repeat to a colleague without overstating certainty.”
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Pattern 10 — Stop when the question is answered
Timebox: 2 minutes to get citations; if not, switch tool or go direct to official sources.
SourceBrowse iatroX Knowledge Centre (indexed, structured answers)
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