H04: High-Value Outputs

💡 Using AI beyond the consultation note

Once you have a Heidi consultation note, you have structured clinical content that can be used as input to a general-purpose AI — ChatGPT or Claude — to produce other documents. This is where the time savings really stack up.

The principle: Copy your Heidi note (de-identified — remove or replace the patient's name and NHI), paste it into Claude or ChatGPT, then ask it to produce whatever document you need. The AI has all the clinical context it needs to produce a high-quality first draft.

How to de-identify: replace the name with "the patient" and remove or replace the NHI and DOB. Takes 10 seconds. Covered in detail in Module H06.

📨 Referral letters

Referral letters are one of the highest-value outputs. A good referral takes 10–15 minutes to write well. With AI, it takes 90 seconds to produce a solid draft you spend 2 minutes reviewing.

📨 General specialist referral ~90 sec draft

Paste the de-identified Heidi note, then use this prompt:

Prompt — General Referral Letter

You are helping a NZ GP draft a specialist referral letter. Here is the de-identified consultation note: [PASTE HEIDI NOTE HERE] Please write a referral letter to a [SPECIALTY] specialist. The letter should: - Be written in formal clinical English appropriate for NZ specialist correspondence - Include the reason for referral, relevant history, current medications, examination findings, and the GP's specific question for the specialist - Be concise — 2–3 paragraphs, not exhaustive - End with "Yours sincerely" and a space for the GP's name and signature Do not invent any clinical details not present in the notes.

Always review before sending. AI-generated referrals are drafts. Read every sentence. The clinical reasoning must reflect your actual assessment, not just what was verbally stated in the consult.

🗒️ Patient-friendly summaries

Health literacy is a genuine equity issue in NZ. Many patients leave a consult remembering very little of what was said — especially if they were anxious. An AI-generated plain-language summary sent via patient portal or printed out makes a real difference.

Prompt — Patient Summary

Based on this de-identified consultation note, write a plain-language summary for the patient. [PASTE HEIDI NOTE HERE] The summary should: - Use simple language (Year 8 reading level — avoid jargon) - Explain what was found, what we're doing about it, and what the patient needs to do next - Include any medication changes with instructions - Note when to come back or seek urgent care - Be warm and reassuring in tone without being condescending - Be no longer than 200 words

This is particularly valuable for: complex chronic disease management, post-procedure instructions, patients with low health literacy, CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) patients where English is a second language.

💊 Prescription and repeat justifications

When a patient requests a specialist medication, a controlled drug repeat, or something that requires clinical justification to a third party, AI can draft the supporting letter quickly.

Prompt — Prescription Justification Letter

Using the clinical information below, draft a brief letter justifying the prescription of [MEDICATION/DOSAGE] for this patient. [PASTE RELEVANT CLINICAL NOTES — de-identified] The letter is for [PURPOSE: e.g., Special Authority application / insurance / employer]. It should: - State the diagnosis and relevant history briefly - Explain why this specific medication is clinically appropriate - Reference any previous treatments tried and why they were insufficient (if applicable) - Be signed off by a medical professional (leave space for GP signature) Keep it factual, concise, and clinically appropriate.

📋 Other high-value use cases

🏃 Sick leave / medical certificates ~60 sec

Ask AI to draft the supporting clinical information for a medical certificate. You complete the official Indici certificate form; AI drafts the "clinical details" section if required.

📞 Discharge summaries for after-hours cover ~2 min

Summarise a complex patient's recent history and current status for an after-hours locum. Paste recent Indici entries and ask AI to write a concise handover note.

🧑‍⚕️ Pre-specialist appointment brief ~90 sec

A one-page summary for the patient to bring to their specialist — what the GP has found, what medications they're on, what the specific question is. Reduces the specialist re-taking full history and improves continuity.

Exercise H04.1

Draft a referral letter from a Heidi note

Take a Heidi note from your test recording in H01 (or generate a new one)
De-identify it — replace any names with "the patient", remove NHI/DOB
Open claude.ai or ChatGPT
Paste the referral letter prompt above, with your Heidi note inserted
Specify a specialty — e.g., Cardiology or Orthopaedics
Review the output — what would you change? What did it get right?
Time how long the whole process took from note to draft letter