Best Practices & Safety Guidelines

Using AI responsibly in clinical settings requires following specific guidelines to protect patients and maintain professional standards. These aren't suggestions - they're essential requirements.

🔒 Never Put PHI in Public AI Systems

This next point is absolutely critical: never put protected health information into public AI systems. When you're creating materials for patients, you must keep all identifying information out of your prompts.

❌ NEVER Do This

"Create exercises for Maria Rodriguez who had a stroke last month..."

Contains patient name and medical information

✅ Always Do This

"Create exercises for a 45-year-old patient with moderate Broca's aphasia..."

De-identified, professional description

More Safe Examples:

Instead of "John from accounting" → "Office worker returning to work"
Instead of "Room 314 patient" → "Hospital patient"
Instead of "Mrs. Smith's daughter" → "Family member"

You Remain the Clinical Expert

Most importantly - AI is a tool, not a replacement for your clinical judgment. Every piece of content that AI generates needs to be reviewed through your professional lens.

🔍 What to Watch For

Awkward or unnatural phrasing
Inappropriate difficulty level for patient's stage
Vocabulary too advanced or too simple
Content that doesn't align with therapy goals
Cultural insensitivity or stereotypes

🧠 Your Expertise Determines

✅ Whether sentence complexity matches patient ability
✅ If vocabulary choices are cognitively appropriate
✅ Whether exercises align with therapeutic goals
✅ How to modify content for individual needs
✅ When to progress to more challenging material

💡 Recommended Workflow

Generate Options

AI creates 5-10 different exercise variations in minutes

Apply Clinical Judgment

Select the 2-3 that perfectly match patient needs

Modify & Refine

Adjust content based on your professional expertise

Plan Progression

Adapt remaining options for future sessions

Understanding AI Limitations

🌀 What is "Hallucination" in AI?

In artificial intelligence, a hallucination happens when the system generates information that looks correct but is not actually true or based on real evidence. The AI does not "know" it is making a mistake. It can sound confident and give details that feel real, even though they are invented.

Examples of AI Hallucinations:

Creating fake research citations that sound real
Inventing specific statistics or percentages
Making up names of therapy techniques
Stating medical facts that aren't accurate

How to Prevent Issues:

✅ Always fact-check specific claims
✅ Verify any research or statistics mentioned
✅ Trust your clinical knowledge over AI assertions
✅ Use AI for content structure, not medical facts

⚖️ Watching for Bias

You should also be aware that AI can reflect biases present in its training data. I've seen AI generate examples that inadvertently reinforced gender stereotypes - like always showing men in technical roles and women in care-giving roles. Always review content for cultural sensitivity and inclusive representation.

Common Bias Patterns to Watch:

Gender role stereotypes in examples
Cultural assumptions about family structures
Age-related assumptions about technology use
Socioeconomic assumptions about interests

Being Transparent with Patients

💬 Simple Honesty Works Best

If asked, be transparent with patients about using AI in therapy planning. Keep it simple: You don't need to make this complicated. Simply let patients know that you use technology tools to help create personalized materials for their therapy.

Sample Patient Explanations:

Simple Version:

"I use computer tools to help me create materials that match your interests and goals."

Detailed Version:

"I use AI technology to help generate practice exercises that are personalized for you. I review everything to make sure it's appropriate for your therapy goals."

Family-Focused Version:

"These reading materials were created using AI to match [patient's] interests in gardening and teaching. I selected and reviewed everything to ensure it's at the right level."

Maintaining Professional Standards

📋 Documentation

Note when AI-assisted materials are used
Document modifications made to AI output
Track patient responses to materials
Maintain records of effective prompts

🤝 Collaboration

Share successful prompts with colleagues
Discuss challenges and solutions
Contribute to professional AI discussions
Stay updated on best practices

📚 Continuing Education

Stay informed about AI developments
Attend relevant professional development
Understand your institution's AI policies
Follow ASHA guidelines as they develop

🎯 Quick Reference Checklist

Before Using AI:

✅ Remove all patient identifiers from prompts
✅ Use general descriptions only
✅ Check institutional policies
✅ Ensure secure internet connection

While Using AI:

✅ Generate multiple options
✅ Review content for appropriateness
✅ Modify based on clinical judgment
✅ Check for bias or stereotypes

After Using AI:

✅ Document what materials were used
✅ Note patient responses
✅ Save effective prompts for future use
✅ Share insights with colleagues

Ready to Get Started Safely?

Now that you understand the safety guidelines, you're ready to begin using AI as your research partner.

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