Some Real World, Start Today, Practical Applications of ChatGPT

My last article on AI was a little high-falutin', so here are some ways you can use it in your veterinary practice today.

Author’s Note: Dr. Eric Fish wrote a similar and much more aesthetically pleasing article on almost exactly the same thing yesterday. Which I read this afternoon. It’s definitely worth reading.

I recently wrote about how artificial intelligence, in particular chatbot technology, was expected to revolutionize pretty much everything, and in particular veterinary medicine. But it occurs to me that the article was broad and even histrionic in its descriptions of artificial intelligence. While I believe it presents the possibility of an upheaval on the scale of the Industrial Revolution, and much faster, it’s sometimes hard to perceive exactly how steam power and replaceable parts are going to change the world.

I’m a Millennial, and I remember dialup internet and the advent of widely available and useful search engines and the way these things changed everything. I’m old enough to remember moving from a stack of encyclopedias to an Encarta 95 CD to dial-up internet to Google and Wikipedia and so on. I remember dial tones and busy signals and phones attached to the wall, and how many things became possible with mobile phones and then smartphones. I remember how those massive shifts felt when you first experienced them. I am convinced that artificial intelligence will carry that sort of tectonic shift in paradigms.

While the work of the folks at Digitail and other places is sure to dramatically change the way we treat workflow and practice medicine, there are ways to supercharge the work we’re already doing by using the free software that exists. It can help you today if you decide to let it. It’s already helping workflow in my hospital.

Below are some ways that anyone can leverage ChatGPT to improve efficiency and workflow in a veterinary hospital.

1. Content Creation: Say you need a cheery Instagram caption for Veterinary Receptionist Week and you’re feeling as creative and clever as a pile of wet leaves. Ask the chatbot for help. This is what it came up with when prompted:

 “Pawsitively grateful for our amazing veterinary receptionists! Thanks for always taking our calls and fetching us with your fur-bulous service. Happy Veterinary Receptionist Week!" 🐾📞✨ #FurBulousReceptionists #VetReceptionistWeek #PawsomeService” 

It’s not bad, and it even has hashtags. I hate adding hashtags. Problem solved? Or not, you want more? I agree, our veterinary receptionists deserve better! A sonnet! So I asked the AI for some help since my Shakepeare’s rusty:

Oh, veterinary receptionists, how we adore

Thy friendly voice that greets us on the phone

Thy warm smile as we walk through the door

And the knowledge that we're not alone

Thou art the first to hear our worried cries

And calm us down with words of reassurance

Thou help us schedule appointments with ease

And make our pets feel right at home, no disturbance

Thy job is one of many hats to wear

From answering calls to filing charts

Thou art a pillar of strength and care

A critical part of every vet's heart

So let us take this week to celebrate

Our amazing veterinary receptionists, great! 

🐾📞✨ #FurBulousReceptionists #VetReceptionistWeek #PawsomeService

And still provides the hashtags. Amazing.

2. The Cure for Executive Function Fatigue: This one might be more helpful to my fellow ADHD-suffering colleagues than to other folks, but it’s been awfully helpful to me. Most people experience executive dysfunction from time to time, I’ve read, and it doesn’t even have to happen 912 times each day to be frustrating. Say you’ve got an email to write and you’ve been putting it off for much longer than it would’ve taken, and the task festers on your To-Do list, taunting you with its simplicity and promising absolutely zero dopamine for its completion. Ask ChatGPT for help!

I prompted ChatGPT for help with a notice of an outstanding balance to a cat owner:

Dear [Owner's Name],

We hope this message finds you and your furry friend well. We wanted to reach out to you today regarding an overdue balance on your cat's recent visit to our veterinary hospital.

We understand that things can get busy and expenses can add up, but we kindly ask that you take a moment to review your account and make payment as soon as possible. This will help us ensure that we can continue to provide high-quality care to all of our patients.

If you have any questions or concerns about your bill, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team is always available to assist you.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to provide exceptional care to your cat.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Veterinary Hospital]

Oh, alright, you think that one is too nice? Does it not send a strong enough message? Fine, let’s request a sterner tone and an emphatic message!

Dear [Cat Owner's Name],

We regret to inform you that your account with our veterinary hospital is currently past due. We have made repeated attempts to contact you regarding this matter, but have yet to receive payment for the services rendered to your pet.

We understand that unforeseen circumstances can sometimes arise, but it is important to honor your financial obligations in a timely manner. Failure to do so not only affects our ability to provide high-quality care to all of our patients, but also impacts the financial stability of our business.

We urge you to rectify this situation immediately by settling your outstanding balance. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, we are willing to work with you to develop a payment plan that accommodates your needs.

Please note that failure to resolve this matter in a timely manner may result in additional fees and/or suspension of services.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Name of Veterinary Hospital]

There we go! That’ll get the point across!

3. Translation of “Doctor” to “Human”: I have loved ones who will gently tease me for not always “speaking Human,” given my occasional-but-still-unfortunate tendency to talk like everyone went to veterinary school. ChatGPT can help with this problem too! It can “translate” or even write client communications that can convey a clear message to clients without heavy use of medical jargon.

How about a patient with mitral valve disease and an owner who insists that, “explain it like [he’s] five”?

Hi [Pet Owner's Name],

I wanted to follow up with you regarding your dog's recent examination. Unfortunately, we've discovered that your pup has mitral valve disease, which is a condition that affects the heart.

Mitral valve disease can be a serious issue, but the good news is that we have a medication called pimobendan that can help manage the condition and improve your dog's quality of life. The medication will need to be taken regularly for the rest of your dog's life, but with proper management, your dog can still enjoy a happy, healthy life.

We understand that it can be overwhelming to receive a diagnosis like this, so please know that we are here to answer any questions you may have and provide support as needed. We can also work with you to develop a treatment plan that fits your lifestyle and meets your dog's needs.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any concerns or questions. We're here to help and provide the best possible care for your furry friend.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

[Name of Veterinary Hospital]

A message as simple, gentle, and friendly as a labrador puppy! Done!

4. A Change of Tone: Say, for example, that you’re a person whose personality borders on the intense. Maybe we’ve crossed that border. You’re direct - even impassioned, animated - even ferocious, assertive - even intimidating. You barely notice it, but it can, at times, rub some folks the wrong way - it might sometimes scorch the earth. A little.

Maybe you have the inverse of the former personality quirk, maybe you have a hard time expressing yourself in an adequately assertive fashion. You’re trying so hard to be nice and gentle with people, a reflection of kindness and character, that you don’t always manage to speak up as effectively as you’d hoped.

(This is entirely hypothetical and any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental.)

You can enter your words into ChatGPT and ask it to help you to change the tone of a piece. That’s right, the artificially intelligent robot trained on huge chunks of mankind’s knowledge can identify tone and help you to alter that of your work.

Here are two email examples:

Version One:

Subject: Urgent Reminder - Project Deadline

Dear Team,

I'm writing to remind you that the deadline for the project is approaching quickly, and we still have a lot of work to do. I need everyone to stay focused and commit whatever proves necessary to meet the deadline. If we miss the deadline, we lose the client, and that would be a huge setback for the company.

Please prioritize this project over all other tasks and let's work together to get it done on time.

Regards,

[Your Name]

Version Two:

Subject: Friendly Reminder - Project Deadline

Hello Team,

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to check in with everyone and remind you that our project deadline is fast approaching. I know we've all been working hard, and I appreciate your dedication to this project.

I also wanted to remind you that the success of this project is crucial for our company, and I'm confident that together, we can achieve our goals. I understand that we all have other responsibilities, but if you could prioritize this project over other tasks, it would be greatly appreciated.

Please let me know if you need any support or if there's anything we can do to help you meet your deadlines. Let's work together to deliver a successful project on time!

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

We see the variety, the change in tone. It’s powerful to see a machine deliver two dramatically different linguistic tone while maintaining the same message. You can use the machine learning machine to help to adjust your natural inclinations and achieve a product closer to the desired outcome.

Without getting into beta testing for diagnostic and prognostic software for more advanced applications, like adjuncts and enhancements to the practice of medicine, there’s free software that can help your organization’s workflow right now. And using it has the added benefit of familiarizing yourself with a powerful new technology. It’s imperfect, it hallucinates, it gets things wrong, but it can still be incredibly useful today.