DoctorGPT
Feedback from Patients
Patient 1
The doctor repeatedly saying “I understand your concern” felt excessive and unnecessary after the first few times, making it seem overly scripted. Additionally, the use of medical jargon like “increased white blood cells in the CSF and gram-negative diplococci” was confusing for Danny, as it wasn’t explained in simple terms he could understand.
Patient 2
The doctor’s communication felt robotic and lacked the human touch. He overused the phrase “I understand your concerns, Mr Murphy,” relied heavily on medical jargon, didn’t personalise the information or ask how the parent preferred to be addressed, and overall came across as disingenuous and stilted.
Patient 3
While reading through the conversation, the doctor’s responses came across as somewhat forced and robotic, despite saying all the right things.
Feedback from Clinicians
Clinician 1
The doctor began without acknowledging how the parent or child was feeling, jumping straight into information. Although the parent didn’t initially seem concerned, the phrase “I can see you are concerned” may have unintentionally raised alarm. Explanations of test results were overly technical and confusing, and when asked for clarification about the diagnosis, the response was poorly phrased, with no direct confirmation of meningitis or added reassurance. Repeated use of the phrase “I understand your concern” felt condescending and irritating. The doctor used too many words and lacked personalisation when discussing next steps, such as treatment duration or hospital stay. Advice to consult the child’s healthcare provider lacked urgency or helpful guidance, and complications were mentioned without explanation, potentially increasing anxiety. There was some reassurance, but it relied on generic stock phrases. The conversations would have been better handled with more signposting and empathetic language. Overall, the exchange was frustrating and robotic, even for a very detached doctor.
Clinician 2
The doctor repeatedly used the phrase “I understand your concern” instead of varying language. There was no clear effort to confirm the father’s understanding at the start or end of the consultation, missing opportunities for questions. Additionally, some important clinical details were left out.
Clinician 3
The explanation of the meningitis diagnosis included too much medical jargon, such as “CSF,” making it hard to understand. The doctor should have clarified that if the child is well enough, antibiotics may be given as ambulatory IV treatment, not orally. Key clinical steps were missed, including identifying close contacts, notifying public health, and discussing antibiotic prophylaxis for contacts—immunisation alone isn’t sufficient at this stage. Additionally, discussing child development support at home was not necessary for this consultation.
PatientGPT
Feedback from Patients
Patient 1
I think Danny’s concerns about his child were valid, and the questions he asked were appropriate. I did find it a bit unusual that he referred to the doctor as “Dr Doc” but having played many different characters over the years, it’s not really an issue.
Patient 2
The patient didn’t seem appropriately concerned and appeared to be looking too far ahead instead of focusing on the present situation. The language used was overly formal, with some medical jargon and repeated bacterial names that weren’t necessary. Informal expressions like “wow” felt out of place.
Patient 3
The patient’s repeated use of phrases like “oh man” doesn’t quite sound like something a genuinely concerned father would say. Overall, the responses feel somewhat over-scripted for someone in the father’s situation.
Feedback from Clinicians
Clinician 1
The parent wouldn’t typically say phrases like “oh man, an infection.” Some questions were repeated unnecessarily, showing a lack of responsiveness to previous dialogue. The parent would likely already know the child’s vaccination status, rather than the doctor explaining the schedule and discovering it during the conversation. The questions asked were sensibly phrased, and responses like “I’m just trying to get an idea of what to expect” were appropriate. Overall, despite some unnatural mannerisms and occasional forced questions, the flow and timing of the conversation felt mostly believable and realistic for a simulated patient.
Clinician 2
I would expect the dad to be more upset upon hearing the diagnosis of meningitis, as it’s a frightening condition. I also don’t think he would ask about the specific bacteria causing the meningitis. However, I do believe that knowing the expected length of the hospital stay is important to parents!
Clinician 3
The parent asked some unusual questions, such as whether a specific type of bacteria was causing the illness or if it could be different ones, and about early intervention programs and how they could support their child’s development at home.