Searching for health information online is now one of the most common things Australians do and AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are increasingly part of that search. These tools can be genuinely useful: summarising complex medical information in plain English, helping you prepare questions for a GP appointment, or explaining a diagnosis you've just received. But they also have real limitations that, in a health context, can matter enormously.
This course gives participants an honest, practical guide to using AI for health information. We explore what these tools are good at, where they fall short, and how to combine AI search with trusted Australian health sources to make confident, informed decisions, without replacing the advice of a doctor.
Through live demonstrations and hands-on practice, participants will learn how to ask better health questions online, identify reliable sources, and recognise when AI-generated health information should not be acted on without professional guidance.
No prior technology experience is required. Participants are encouraged to bring their own devices and their own health questions.
Face to face
- How Australians currently search for health information online and where it goes wrong
- What AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can and cannot do in a health context
- Live demonstration: asking a health question and evaluating the response
- Trusted Australian health sources: healthdirect.gov.au, myHealth Record, and beyond
- How to use AI to prepare better questions for your GP or specialist
- Warning signs that an AI health response should not be trusted
- Hands-on practice with participant health questions
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Identify what AI health tools are genuinely useful for and where their limits lie
- Use AI search tools to find and evaluate health information in plain English
- Locate and cross-reference trusted Australian health sources
- Prepare more informed questions for GP and specialist appointments using AI tools
- Recognise when AI-generated health information requires professional verification
