When patients ask AI first, with Amber Maraccini, Ph.D., M.A., of Medallia

Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving closer to patients, often before they ever step into the exam room. Tools like ChatGPT Health and other health-focused AI platforms are shaping how patients interpret test results, prepare questions and form expectations about care.

Medical Economics Associate Editor Austin Littrell sat down with Amber Maraccini, Ph.D., M.A., vice president and head of health care and life sciences at Medallia, to talk about what that shift means for physicians.

Maraccini explains how AI tools differ from earlier “Dr. Google” searches, why natural-language explanations can lower anxiety before a visit and where the real risks emerge when technology is poorly designed or over-trusted. She also shares practical guidance for clinicians navigating visits where patients arrive with AI-generated conclusions, including how to keep conversations productive, preserve trust and re-center care on clinical context.

Music Credits:
Steady State of Mind by Yigit Atilla - stock.adobe.com
A Textbook Example by Skip Peck - stock.adobe.com

Editor's note: Episode timestamps and transcript produced using AI tools.

0:00 — Cold open
Why the future isn’t AI versus clinicians.

0:31 — Intro
Austin Littrell introduces the episode and the Practice Academy note.

1:54 — Interview begins
Amber Maraccini introduces her role and Medallia’s focus on trust and experience.

3:12 — What’s different about ChatGPT Health
Why these tools go beyond symptom checkers.

3:28 — AI as a narrator of health data
Natural language, interpretation and emotional impact.

5:13 — Preparing patients before a visit
How AI can reduce anxiety around test results.

7:50 — Moving beyond “Dr. Google”
Shifting from worst-case scenarios to meaningful questions.

8:22 — When patients arrive with AI conclusions
How physicians can keep visits productive.

10:14 — AI mistakes and safety concerns
Why errors are inevitable — and how to address them.

10:39 — Teaching patients how to use AI
Leaning in rather than avoiding the conversation.

11:54 — Red flags for displaced relationships
When AI feels easier than talking to a doctor.

13:36 — P2 Management Minute
Keith Reynolds shares practical guidance for practices.

14:27 — Where AI fits in the patient journey
Before visits, after visits and education moments.

16:09 — What success should look like
More prepared patients, not longer visits.

17:37 — Final reflections
Using AI to support trust, presence and human connection.

18:55 — Outro
Wrap-up, subscription reminder and Practice Academy note.