Care in the AI age: 5 tools clinics can use to stay a patient’s first choice

Remove the queue, respect the patient

The main frustration for patients is having to call to book appointments. The 8am scramble to sit on hold with reception now belongs to another era – in 2025, that’s a deal-breaker.

Online booking lets patients self-serve at a time that suits them, whether that’s during their lunch break or late into the evening. This creates an instant sense of autonomy, giving patients control over when and with whom they’re seen, while you stay in control of locations, clinicians and services available.

Crucially, giving patients the opportunity to choose their clinician can help foster a sense of continuity and trust, which are two key factors in building long-term patient relationships.

“I see patients who work eight to eight. How are they supposed to phone for an appointment?” Says Rahim Kanji, Consultant Cardiologist at OneWelbeck. “With online booking, they can go onto my website, see my availability and it automatically adds to my diary.”

This kind of simple access doesn’t just make life easier for patients; it reduces admin pressure for your team, frees up your phone lines and creates a more efficient workflow for everyone.

What good looks like:

• Real-time availability and instant confirmation.
• Let patients choose a named clinician.
• Transparent prices and choice of appointment types.
• Send automated confirmations and reminders via SMS and email.

The impact:

• Fewer abandoned bookings and fewer calls for your admin team.
• Better continuity of care, which patients explicitly value.
• A clear first impression: modern, responsive, patient‑centred.

Use AI to strengthen trust, not compete with it

With nearly a quarter of patients now turning to generative AI for medical advice, clinics have an opportunity to redefine their role as trusted guides.

Rather than discouraging patients from using tools like ChatGPT, clinicians can turn this behaviour into a starting point for meaningful discussion — asking what patients have read online and helping them interpret it with clinical context. It transforms digital noise into teachable moments and reinforces professional expertise.

You can surface this early through pre-consultation questionnaires, giving patients space to mention whether they’ve consulted AI or social media before their appointment. This gives clinicians the context they need ahead of time so the consultation starts on the right footing.

Clinics can also use their own AI-enabled tools in order to make space for these conversations: AI medical scribes allow for more time and connection during consultations, making patients feel more comfortable and listened to, encouraging an open dialogue.

Our report also shows limited time with clinicians remains one of patients' biggest barriers to their care. Both AI scribes and pre-consultation questionnaires help address this, not by replacing human interaction, but by protecting it. Clinicians can’t always extend appointment lengths, but they can make better use of the time they have.

These tools remove much of the administrative distraction, making appointments feel calmer, more focused and more personal. In that quieter, more present environment, the patient-clinician relationship strengthens and patients feel more at ease to open up.

What good looks like:

• Information gathered before an appointment on AI use for healthcare advice.
• Draft notes generated in real time, editable by the clinician for accuracy.
• Structured outputs: problem lists, medications, orders and follow‑up tasks.
• Automatic generation of patient-friendly summaries (plain English, clear next steps).

The impact:

• Expectations on AI set before the appointment, allowing for a more open discussion.
• Clinicians arrive prepared and patients feel heard from the start.
• More eye contact and empathy; fewer clicks and after-hours notes.
• Clearer documentation and safer handovers.
• Time back for clinicians and a better patient experience.

Keep the conversation going

Follow-up messaging and post-appointment communication are powerful ways to build trust and reduce confusion.

Nearly two-thirds of patients told us they’ve left an appointment unclear about their diagnosis or next steps. Sending a short summary or automated messages after a consultation not only reinforces understanding, but signals to their patient your clinic cares about continuity and outcomes, not just attendance.

These touchpoints are small but significant. They help patients feel supported, remind them of next actions and open the door for further questions or clarification. It’s a simple way to turn a one-off visit into an ongoing relationship and keep patients in their pathway.

What good looks like:

• Timed messages post-appointment: care summaries, medication instructions, and links to reputable resources.
• Automated reminders for tests, results availability, prescription collections and follow‑up booking.
• Consistent tone: empathetic, plain language and action‑oriented.

The impact:

• Fewer inbound calls for basic status updates.
• Higher adherence to treatment and fewer missed follow‑ups.
• Patients feel guided, not left to search on TikTok or ask ChatGPT.

Give patients visibility and control

A single, centralised patient portal can solve many frustrations in one go. From accessing results to reviewing previous notes or booking the next appointment, it gives patients a single, secure space to manage their care.

Patients increasingly expect this kind of transparency — much like online banking, they want 24/7 access to their own data. Clinics that provide it don’t just offer convenience; they build confidence and loyalty by showing that information belongs to the patient as much as the provider.

What good looks like:

• Single, secure login with clear navigation: appointments, results, messages, prescriptions, invoices and care plans.
• Plain‑language results and summaries with context (e.g., “within expected range”) and clear next steps.
• Continuity by default: quick rebook with the same clinician; visible history of plans and agreed goals.

The impact:

• Lower admin load: fewer calls; more self‑serve rescheduling and payments.
• Higher adherence: patients follow care plans when instructions and reminders live in one place.
• Better comprehension: reduce confusion and post‑visit uncertainty.
• Stronger trust: transparency over records, timelines, and communications signals partnership.

Shaping the next chapter of patient care

Patients are no longer comparing clinics to each other, they’re comparing them to the ease of every other online experience they have.

Rebuilding relevance with today’s patient doesn’t require radical transformation. It’s about removing the small but significant barriers that make care feel slow or disconnected. Digital booking, AI support, smart follow-ups and patient portals all form part of a single promise: healthcare that meets patients where they are, on their terms.

When clinics combine the right digital tools with human empathy, they don’t just meet expectations, they set the new standard for care.