I break down what “doctor-side” AI actually looks like in real clinics and hospitals, from note-writing tools to radiology triage and sepsis alerts. The throughline is simple: AI helps most when it removes administrative drag and a human consistently reviews what it produces before it affects you.
• Ambient scribes that record visits and draft clinical notes while restoring face-to-face attention
• Documentation time savings and what the early research shows for physician burnout and patient experience
• AI-drafted patient portal replies and the “portal paradox” that can create extra editing work
• Radiology AI that flags urgent findings and reprioritizes scans rather than replacing radiologists
• Mammography and pathology examples where AI acts as a second reader
• Algorithmic bias risks when training data does not reflect all patients
• Sepsis prediction tools that can save lives but vary widely by validation and implementation
• Medication safety alerts, high override rates, and alert fatigue
• Prior authorization “robot war” dynamics and why appeals are a growing AI use case
• Liability questions and new state-level moves requiring human review and AI disclosure
• Practical patient tips for asking about recording, AI lookups, and how scan flags are used
To catch up on more episodes and to get new ones delivered directly to you, subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and more. If you'd like to be a guest or have an idea for an episode, let me know at www.drpatientpodcast.com. That's doctorpatientpodcast.com.

AI can translate an MRI report into plain English, summarize your test results, and answer a medication question with total confidence. The problem is that confidence is false, and in healthcare, the cost of a bad answer can be huge. I’m Heather Johnston, MD, and I’m living the patient side right now: heart failure that demands consistent cardio, plus a hip injury and other orthopedic issues that make the gym feel like a minefield. After getting vague guidance from real clinicians who were focused on their own “slice,” I tried something different. I uploaded my MRI reports and heart testing into Claude, got a customized routine, and then did the most important step: I asked my physical therapist to sanity-check it before I followed it.

From there, I zoom out to how other patients are using AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for healthcare advice, symptom searches, test interpretation, and insurance questions. I break down what large language models actually are, why the specific model you’re talking to matters, and what the latest research says about medical accuracy, user error, and the risk of misleading answers delivered in a polished tone. I also dig into privacy: most chatbots are not covered by HIPAA, which changes the stakes when you share sensitive health information.

Then I’m joined by viral TikTok creator Ty Eveland, whose “AI doctor” trolling with baby Tuna is hilarious and deeply instructive. His clips show how bots can miss sarcasm, context, and reality, while still sounding authoritative and confident. I finish up with practical, safer ways to use AI as a patient today, plus what tools like ChatGPT Health may mean for the near future. Subscribe, share this with a friend who asks chatbots for medical advice, and leave a review with your biggest AI-in-healthcare question.

You sign the clipboard forms, tap the signature pad, and hope for the best but what if you actually understood the laws sitting underneath that moment? I’m Heather Johnston, MD, and I went down the rabbit hole on patient rights so you don’t have to. We start with HIPAA in plain English, including the part most people miss: it’s not only about privacy, it’s also about your right to get a copy of your own medical records. We also talk about the proposed HIPAA Security Rule updates and why cybersecurity upgrades could change how your electronic health information is protected and accessed.

From there, we move to the rules that matter when life gets urgent. EMTALA requires most emergency rooms to screen and stabilize you regardless of your ability to pay, insurance status, or immigration status and we unpack why this has become more legally uncertain around pregnancy complications in states with abortion restrictions. We then connect the dots to Affordable Care Act protections that still shape coverage today: no pre-existing condition discrimination, no lifetime or annual caps on essential health benefits, preventive services with zero cost sharing, and the two-step process for appealing denied insurance claims, including external review.

We also cover informed consent as the difference between real choice and a rushed signature, the 21st Century Cures Act and “information blocking” (why your labs now show up in the portal so fast), and the No Surprises Act protections that curb surprise medical bills and require good faith estimates for self-pay patients. Finally, we zoom in on Illinois-specific laws around visitation rights, record changes, prior authorization reform, mental health protections, and medical debt no longer appearing on credit reports plus a practical checklist for what to do when something feels off.

If this helped you feel more confident navigating health care, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s fighting a bill or a denial, and leave a review. What patient-rights question do you want answered next?

LINKS:

IL Attorney General Healthcare Consumer Protections 877-305-5145

IL Public Act 103-0648 (medical debt can't affect credit report)

ACA/Affordable Care Act

EMTALA/ER protection law

HIPAA

21st Century Cures Act

Date: 6/30/26
Name of podcast: Dr. Patient
Episode title and number: 34 Comfort Care: Palliative and Hospice

Episode summary:
Palliative and hospice care can be confusing, and are often synonymous with the idea of giving up. In this episode, I review what each one is, how they work with already existing healthcare and medical teams, how it helps family of a seriously sick patient, and how insurance coverage works.

References:

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Center to Advance Palliative Care

Podcast website: www.drpatientpodcast.com

Podcast email, become a guest: drpatientpodcast@gmail.com

Date: 6/18/26
Name of podcast: Dr. Patient
Episode title and number: 33 Second Opinions in Healthcare
Episode summary: In Episode 33 of Dr.Patient, host and physician Dr. Heather Johnston is joined by two guests — Mia and Joby — to share their personal experiences navigating the medical second opinion process after serious cancer diagnoses. Mia, a breast cancer survivor, and Joby, who faced three separate cancer diagnoses including bone cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma, open up about the emotional, logistical, and financial hurdles of seeking second opinions — from tracking down pathology slides and paying out-of-pocket fees to encountering dismissive surgeons and conflicting treatment recommendations. Together, they explore why patients seek second opinions (complex diagnosis, distrust, rare illness), what happens when doctors disagree on cancer treatment, and how factors like bedside manner, doctor-patient trust, institutional coordination, and staying current on medical research all influence which physician a patient ultimately chooses. If you've ever wondered whether to get a second medical opinion, how to navigate the healthcare system during a health crisis, or what questions to ask your oncologist, this episode offers honest, real-world insight from both a doctor's and patient's perspective.

Guest(s): Joby, Mia

Podcast website: www.drpatientpodcast.com

Podcast email, become a guest: drpatientpodcast@gmail.com

Date: 5/19/26
Name of podcast: Dr. Patient
Episode title and number: 32 Last Call: Alcohol, Breast Cancer and the Advice Gap

Episode summary:

In this episode of the Dr. Paitnet Podcast, I’m going to be exploring the growing disconnect between what decades of breast cancer research shows and what women are told in the exam room when it comes to alcohol. Some women are told an occasional drink is fine. Others are told to avoid alcohol entirely. Many are never counseled on the topic at all. As both a physician and a breast cancer survivor, I found myself increasingly unsettled by how inconsistent these conversations remain despite years of established research linking alcohol to breast cancer risk.

But let me just say that this episode is not about shame, judgment or fear-based messaging. I want you to understand how research moves, or sometimes fails to move, from medical journals into the conversation that you have with your doctor.

References:

Bagnardi meta-analysis from 2015: https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534%2819%2936858-9/fulltext

Article on alcohol affecting young womens' breast tissue: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19409844/

Study looking at what % of US adults know alcohol is a risk for cancer: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2834641?utm_source=openevidence&utm_medium=referral#google_vignette

What % of US doctors ask patients about alcohol use: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32163383/

News article links:

Sorry, some of these will have paywalls you'll have to get through:

WaPo 2022 https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/09/19/alcohol-cancer-risk-labels/

WHO statement that no amount of alcohol is safe https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

NYTimes 2023 Even a little alcohol can harm your health https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

Podcast website: www.drpatientpodcast.com

Podcast email, become a guest: drpatientpodcast@gmail.com

Date: 4/27/26
Name of podcast: Dr. Patient
Episode title and number: 31 How to Find a Doctor

Episode summary:

This is a follow-up episode to 30 Preventing Illness in the First Place, where we discuss the importance of having a primary care provider for yourself. This episode touches on the basics of finding a doctor - who, where and how.

Resources/Links:

www.healthgrades.com

www.topnpi.com

www.boardcertified.com

Article about DOs (NYTimes article; might need to login to view)

Podcast website: www.drpatientpodcast.com

Podcast email, become a guest: drpatientpodcast@gmail.com

Date: 4/15/26
Name of podcast: Dr. Patient
Episode title and number: 30 Prevent Illness in the First Place

Episode summary:

Preventive healthcare involves trying to keep illness from occurring, and trying to catch diseases early on in their process. It has a long history of success as an overall health approach, but less and less adults in the US are utilizing it and seeing a primary care provider. This episode reviews what preventive healthcare entails and addresses some of the more common reasons why people don't seek it out.

References:

Current screening recommendations:

Cancers:

- Colorectal cancer screening (variety of methods including colonoscopy) at 45-75

- Breast cancer screening (mammogram, ultrasound most common) at 40-74

- Cervical cancer screening (PAP smear) at 21-65

- Lung cancer screening (low dose CT scan) at 50-80 IF you have a 20 pack-year smoking history, or if you quit within the last 15 years

Heart and metabolic conditions:

- Hypertension/high blood pressure screening

- every 2 years if blood pressure is < 120/80

- every year if blood pressure is 120-139/80-89

- annually over 40 years old regardless of blood pressure

- Diabetes type 2 screening (blood test)

- at 35-70 if overweight/obese (BMI >25)

- every 3 years if normal BMI

- High cholesterol screening (blood test) - lots of caveats on this one

- generally, a lipid panel at 40-75

- some sources say every 4-6 years starting at 20

- American Heart Associaion says waist circumference and BMI and lipid panel every 3 years for adults 40-75 with one risk factor

Infectious Diseases

- Hepatitis C (blood test) once between 18-79

- HIV (blood test) once 15-65 or for anyone pregnant, then regularly only if high risk

Bone health

- Osteoporosis screening (bone scan) all women over 65, all post menopausal women even if less than 65 years old if increased risk

Other

- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (ultrasound) for men 65-75 who have ever smoked

- Depression screening (questionnaire) for everyone over 19 including pregnant/postpartum

- Beyond these, your healthcare provider might also/should ask you questions about safety at home, seat belt use, your diet and exercise

Links:

USPSTF/US Preventive Services Task Force: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/

ACIP/Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/index.html

American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/heart-health-screenings

American Diabetes Association: https://diabetes.org/newsroom/latest-ada-annual-standards-of-care-includes-changes-to-diabetes-screening-first-line-therapy-pregnancy-technology

American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/screening/american-cancer-society-guidelines-for-the-early-detection-of-cancer.html

Podcast website: www.drpatientpodcast.com

Podcast email, become a guest: drpatientpodcast@gmail.com