Everyday Ways to Use AI
AI Beyond the Exam Room—Your New Swiss Army Knife for contracts, spreadsheets, marketing, research, and building custom tools that work exactly the way you want.
How can AI tools transform your everyday professional and personal tasks—from analyzing business data to helping your kids with homework—while you build the skills to customize these tools for exactly what you need?
Introduction: AI as Your Daily Companion
We've covered AI in clinical contexts—decision support, ambient scribes, image generation for patient education. But the same tools that help you practice medicine can transform how you handle everything else: the business side of your practice, your continuing education, your personal projects, even helping your kids learn.
This module explores the everyday applications of AI that you might not have considered. More importantly, it introduces you to building custom AI tools that work exactly the way you want them to—no coding required.
Think of this module as expanding your toolkit. You've learned to use AI for clinical questions. Now let's apply those same skills to everything else.
If you only do one thing after reading this topic: create your first custom AI tool. Pick whichever platform you already use—Claude Projects, Google Gems, or Custom GPTs—and build a simple "Personal Writing Editor" using the template at the end of this page.
It takes 10 minutes, requires no technical skills, and will fundamentally change how you think about AI. You'll go from "using AI" to "having an AI assistant that knows how you work."
Business and Professional Applications
Business Analysis: Finding Patterns in Data
Whether you're analyzing your practice's patient volume trends, reviewing quarterly financials, or evaluating a potential investment, AI excels at pattern recognition in business data.
Example Use Cases
- Upload your practice's monthly revenue data and ask for trend analysis
- Compare this quarter's metrics to the same period last year
- Identify which services are growing vs. declining
- Analyze payer mix and reimbursement patterns
- Forecast staffing needs based on historical volume
"I'm uploading 24 months of our practice's visit data. Please analyze: (1) overall volume trends, (2) seasonal patterns, (3) which visit types are growing fastest, and (4) any concerning declines I should investigate. Present findings with specific numbers and percentages."
Contract Review: Spotting What Matters
Contracts are dense, boring, and full of language designed to protect the other party. AI can help you identify the provisions that actually matter—though you should always have important contracts reviewed by an attorney.
Contract Analysis Workflow
- Upload the contract (redact sensitive information if needed)
- Ask for a plain-language summary of key terms
- Request identification of unusual or potentially problematic clauses
- Compare terms against industry standards
- Generate a list of questions to ask before signing
"This is a vendor agreement for our new EHR system. Please: (1) summarize the key terms in plain language, (2) identify any clauses that seem unusually favorable to the vendor, (3) highlight termination conditions and penalties, (4) note any automatic renewal provisions, and (5) list questions I should ask before signing."
AI can help you understand contracts, but it cannot provide legal advice. For employment agreements, partnership contracts, real estate transactions, or anything with significant financial implications, always consult a qualified attorney.
Spreadsheet Creation: From Idea to Working Model
Need a budget tracker? A patient callback log? A scheduling template? AI can build spreadsheets from scratch based on your description, complete with formulas.
What AI Can Build
- Practice financial tracking with automatic calculations
- CME credit trackers with expiration alerts
- On-call schedules with rotation logic
- Inventory management for supplies
- Patient satisfaction survey analysis templates
"Create a Google Sheets template for tracking our practice's monthly expenses. Categories should include: rent, utilities, supplies, staffing, marketing, insurance, and miscellaneous. Include monthly totals, year-to-date calculations, and comparison to budget. Make it easy to add new expense entries."
Marketing Copy: Finding Your Voice
Whether you're writing website copy, social media posts, or patient newsletters, AI can help you draft, refine, and maintain a consistent voice—while ensuring medical accuracy.
Marketing Applications
- Practice website "About Us" and service descriptions
- Social media posts about health topics
- Patient newsletter content
- Provider bio updates
- Community event announcements
- Job posting descriptions
"Write a warm, professional 'About' section for our pediatric practice website. Key points to include: we've served [City] for 15 years, we prioritize same-day sick visits, we have evening hours twice a week, and we genuinely enjoy working with kids. Tone should be friendly and reassuring to parents, not corporate. About 150 words."
Technical Documentation: Making Complex Things Clear
Need to document a process, create a training manual, or explain a technical system? AI can transform your rough notes into clear, organized documentation.
Documentation Uses
- Standard operating procedures for your practice
- New employee onboarding guides
- EHR workflow instructions for staff
- Emergency protocols and decision trees
- Patient intake process documentation
Research and Learning
Research Synthesis: Cutting Through the Literature
You've already learned about AI for clinical questions. The same approach works for any research task—whether you're exploring a new investment, understanding a policy issue, or diving into a personal interest.
"I'm considering installing solar panels on my home. Please summarize: (1) the current state of residential solar technology, (2) typical costs and payback periods, (3) available tax incentives, (4) pros and cons of leasing vs. buying, and (5) questions I should ask solar companies. Focus on practical decision-making factors."
Google NotebookLM is exceptionally good for research synthesis. Upload PDFs, articles, or documents, and it creates an AI that can only reference your sources—no hallucinations from outside information.
Best for: Reviewing contracts, analyzing research papers, preparing for meetings with background documents, studying for board exams, or any task where you need AI grounded in specific source material. It can even generate audio "podcasts" summarizing your documents.
Email Tone Adjustment: Saying It Right
We all draft emails that feel too harsh, too casual, or just not quite right. AI can help you recalibrate tone while preserving your message.
Tone Adjustment Scenarios
- Softening a direct message to a colleague
- Making a casual draft more professional
- Adding warmth to a formal communication
- Being assertive without being aggressive
- Diplomatic responses to difficult messages
"I need to email a colleague who keeps scheduling meetings during my clinic hours despite multiple requests to check my calendar. My draft feels too aggressive. Please help me rewrite it to be firm but professional, making clear this needs to stop while maintaining a positive working relationship."
Brainstorming and Ideation
Sometimes you need a thinking partner. AI is surprisingly good at generating ideas, offering alternative perspectives, and helping you think through complex decisions.
"I'm planning a team appreciation event for our practice staff (12 people). Budget is $500. We want something memorable but not just another lunch. Our team is diverse in age (25-60) and interests. Generate 10 creative ideas, noting pros and cons of each."
Personal and Family Applications
Kids' Tutoring and Homework Help
AI makes an excellent tutor for your children—patient, always available, and capable of explaining concepts multiple ways until they click. The key is using it to teach, not just provide answers.
Tutoring Best Practices
- Ask AI to explain concepts, not just solve problems
- Have it create practice problems similar to homework
- Request step-by-step walkthroughs of example problems
- Use it to check work and explain errors
- Ask for real-world applications of abstract concepts
"My 10-year-old is struggling with long division. Please explain it step-by-step using simple language and a concrete example like dividing cookies among friends. Then create 5 practice problems at increasing difficulty, and explain how to check the answer."
Instead of asking AI to solve your child's homework, try: "My child got this answer [X] for this problem [Y]. Without giving the correct answer, ask guiding questions that will help them find their mistake." This builds problem-solving skills rather than dependence.
Game Design and Creative Projects
AI can help design board games, card games, scavenger hunts, and other activities for your kids. It's also great for collaborative storytelling and creative projects.
Creative Project Ideas
- Design a trivia game based on your family's interests
- Create a scavenger hunt for a birthday party
- Develop a "choose your own adventure" story together
- Make educational games that teach while entertaining
- Design challenges for family game night
"Help me design a simple card game to teach my 8-year-old about US geography. It should be playable in 15-20 minutes, work for 2-4 players, and include some element of strategy beyond pure luck. Provide complete rules and describe the cards I'd need to make."
Building Custom AI Tools: Your Personal Assistants
Here's where it gets powerful. Instead of starting from scratch every time you use AI, you can create custom tools pre-loaded with your context, preferences, and expertise. All three major platforms offer this capability—and you don't need to write a single line of code.
Claude Projects
Claude Projects let you create dedicated workspaces with custom instructions and reference documents that persist across conversations.
How It Works
- Custom Instructions: Write system prompts that define how Claude should behave in this project—its role, expertise, constraints, and output format.
- Project Knowledge: Upload documents (up to 200,000 words total) that Claude can reference. These could be your practice protocols, style guides, reference materials, or past work.
- Persistent Context: Everything you upload stays with the project, available in every conversation.
Access: Available to Claude Pro subscribers ($20/month). Find it in the left sidebar under "Projects."
Example: Practice Policy Assistant
Create a project with:
- Instructions: "You are an expert on our practice's policies and procedures. Answer questions accurately based on uploaded documents. If a question isn't covered by the documents, say so clearly."
- Knowledge: Upload your employee handbook, clinical protocols, scheduling policies, and compliance documents.
- Use: Staff can ask questions like "What's our policy on patient no-shows?" and get accurate answers grounded in your actual policies.
Google Gems
Gems are custom AI personas in Gemini that you can create and share. They're simpler than Claude Projects—just custom instructions, no document uploads—but quick to create and easy to use.
How It Works
- Custom Instructions: Define the Gem's personality, expertise, and how it should respond.
- One-Click Access: Gems appear in your Gemini sidebar for instant access.
- Shareable: You can share Gems with colleagues (though they'll need Gemini access).
Access: Available to Gemini Advanced subscribers ($20/month). Click "Gem manager" in the sidebar to create.
Example: Writing Style Editor
Create a Gem with instructions like:
"You are my personal writing editor. Your job is to improve my drafts while maintaining my voice. I write in a conversational but professional style. Make suggestions to improve clarity and flow, but don't make my writing sound generic or corporate. Point out anything unclear and suggest specific improvements."
OpenAI Custom GPTs
Custom GPTs are the most full-featured option, allowing custom instructions, document uploads, and even connections to external tools.
How It Works
- Custom Instructions: Define the GPT's behavior, constraints, and output style.
- Knowledge Files: Upload documents the GPT can reference (PDFs, text files, spreadsheets).
- Capabilities: Enable or disable web browsing, image generation, and code execution.
- Actions: For advanced users, connect to external APIs and services.
- Publishing: Keep private, share via link, or publish to the GPT Store.
Access: Available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers ($20/month). Click "Explore GPTs" then "Create" to build your own.
Example: Patient Education Writer
Create a Custom GPT with:
- Instructions: "You create patient education materials at a 6th-grade reading level. Always include: a clear explanation of the condition, what patients should do, warning signs to watch for, and when to call the office. Use short sentences and bullet points. Avoid medical jargon—if you must use a technical term, define it."
- Knowledge: Upload examples of patient education materials you've liked.
- Use: Ask "Create a handout about managing Type 2 diabetes at home" and get consistent, appropriately-leveled content every time.
Choosing the Right Platform for Custom Tools
| Feature | Claude Projects | Google Gems | Custom GPTs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Instructions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Document Uploads | Yes (200K words) | Yes (files supported) | Yes |
| Image Generation | Yes | Yes (Nano Banana) | Yes (can enable) |
| Web Browsing | Yes (in conversation) | Yes | Yes (can enable) |
| Sharing | Team features | Yes | Link or public |
| Best For | Document-heavy projects | Quick custom personas | Feature-rich tools |
| Cost | $20/month (Pro) | $20/month (Advanced) | $20/month (Plus) |
Getting Started: Your First Custom Tool
The best way to learn is to build something useful. Here's a simple project to get you started.
Project: Personal Writing Assistant
Create a custom tool that edits your writing in your voice. This is useful because the default AI style often sounds generic—a personal assistant learns your preferences.
Step-by-Step Setup
- Choose your platform: Claude Projects for document-heavy work, Gems for simplicity, Custom GPTs for advanced features.
- Write your instructions: Start simple. Describe how you like to write, what you want preserved, and what you want improved.
- Test with real work: Paste something you've written and see how the tool responds.
- Refine based on results: If the output isn't quite right, adjust your instructions. This is iterative.
- Add reference materials: (If using Claude Projects or Custom GPTs) Upload examples of writing you like—yours or others'.
"You are my personal writing editor. Help me improve my drafts while keeping my voice intact.
My style preferences:
- I prefer active voice over passive
- I like conversational but professional tone
- I use short sentences and short paragraphs
- I dislike corporate jargon and buzzwords
When editing:
- Point out unclear passages and suggest specific improvements
- Flag redundant phrases
- Suggest stronger verbs when I've used weak ones
- Don't make my writing sound generic
Output format:
- Show the edited version first
- Then list the key changes you made and why"
Resources for Further Learning
Podcasts
Articles & Tutorials
Newsletters & Substacks
Key Takeaways
AI Applies Everywhere
The skills you've built for clinical AI transfer directly to business, research, and personal tasks.
Start with Real Problems
The best AI applications solve problems you actually have—contracts you need to review, emails you need to write.
Custom Tools Are Powerful
Projects, Gems, and Custom GPTs let you build AI assistants tailored to your exact needs—no coding required.
Teaching Beats Answering
When helping kids, use AI to explain and guide rather than just provide answers. Build skills, not dependence.
Iterate on Instructions
Custom tools improve with refinement. Start simple, test with real work, and adjust based on results.
Verify Important Outputs
AI is a starting point, not a final answer—especially for contracts, financial analysis, and anything consequential.
AI isn't just for clinical work. The same tools and skills you've developed throughout this course apply to every aspect of your professional and personal life. The real power comes when you stop using generic AI and start building custom tools that know your context, preferences, and needs. That's when AI transforms from an occasional helper into a daily companion.
Learning Objectives
- Apply AI tools to common business tasks including contract review, data analysis, and marketing
- Use AI effectively for research synthesis, email communication, and brainstorming
- Leverage AI as a teaching tool for children's education without creating dependence
- Create custom AI tools using Claude Projects, Google Gems, or Custom GPTs
- Write effective custom instructions that capture your preferences and expertise
- Choose the appropriate platform for different types of custom AI tools