AI and Photos: Instant Research in Your Pocket
Are you using photos and AI to get quick answers?
My friend stopped me what she saw me looking at the 2 chairs sitting on her patio and said, “Are you admiring my chairs?” I was, but on closer inspection, I saw they were ripped. She said, “Do you know how these could be repaired?”
I pulled out my phone, took a picture, added the photo to a query in ChatGPT and asked it, “How would I be able to find a fabric to replace this ripped one on this chair frame and who would fix it?”
It informed me, “That chair uses what’s commonly called outdoor sling fabric. It’s a vinyl-coated polyester mesh designed to stay taut, handle sun and rain, and support weight without stretching much. The tear you’re seeing usually means the fabric itself has reached the end of its life, not the frame.”
After that explanation, it gave me several choices for finding replacement fabric or having a skilled person replace the fabric.
“Can you tell me who in Fort Myers, Florida would do such work?” was my next question.
ChatGPT served up a list of companies, their website links, and the kinds of work they do.
My friend then offered me the chairs, saying I could have them and get them repaired. I have a one-in-one-out rule (I’d have to discard perfectly usable chairs to take her broken chairs), and I do not need her chairs. But I am happy to get them fixed for her.
The ChatGPT app is useful for all kinds of instant answers. How can you use ChatGPT’s ability to read images and offer guidance?
How to Use ChatGPT’s Ability to Read Images
In each example I explain below, you would snap a photo and upload it inside the ChatGPT app and ask a focused question. The value isn’t just identification; it’s context, risk spotting, and follow-up ideas.
In all these examples, you would be sure no identifying patient information was visible.
How You Can Use Photos and AI
Medication Information
Take a photo of a medication vial or pharmacy label from discovery materials.
Prompt example:
“Identify this medication, its drug class, common indications, standard dosing ranges, and major adverse effects. What patient monitoring is typically expected?”
Why this helps:
This gives fast clinical grounding before the LNC checks the MAR, orders, or lab values. It also helps frame intelligent questions for the attorney.
Staging Wounds
Take a photo of a wound or pressure injury image included in records or produced photos.
Prompt example:
“Based on appearance alone, what stage might this pressure injury be consistent with? What additional documentation would normally be expected to support this assessment?”
Why this helps:
This is not a diagnosis—it’s pattern recognition. It helps the LNC know whether the charted staging aligns with what’s visible and what records may be missing. The facility might have a wound care team using a specific flow sheet, or there could be nursing notes dedicated to the wound description.
Equipment
An LNC photographs an IV pump screen or equipment image shown in incident reports or photos.
Prompt example:
“What type of device is this likely to be? What settings or safety features are typically relevant, and what kinds of errors are commonly associated with its use?”
Why this helps:
This supports early issue spotting before diving into policy manuals or biomedical records.
Safety equipment
An LNC takes a photo of a mobility aid or safety device (walker, bed alarm, wheelchair, shower chair).
Prompt example:
“What is this device designed to prevent? What patient education or supervision is normally documented when this device is in use?”
Why this helps:
Falls cases often hinge on whether equipment was used correctly—or at all. This frames the records review.
Important professional framing
Treat ChatGPT as a clinical reasoning assistant, not a final authority. It helps you think faster, spot issues sooner, and ask better questions. Your expertise and professional judgment are critical.
The quiet advantage here is speed. You can use the app in the attorney’s office instead of waiting until you’re back at a desk. Capture something in the moment and get clarification on the spot.
Used this way, photos and AI draw on the ability of the camera, which becomes less about images and more about insight—another way to sharpen how you evaluate records, equipment, and documentation in real cases. AI does not replace your clinical experience and judgment or your critical thinking skills and intuitive knowledge.
Tools that help organize ideas, shape them visually, and speed up production can make a significant difference.
That is exactly why I am offering a workshop on how AI can assist with content creation: Using AI to Build Visibility and Credibility: Turn What You Know into What Attorneys See.
Gamma allows you to turn your expertise into clear, professional content without starting from scratch each time. It helps you organize ideas, present them logically, and create materials that look polished and attorney-friendly.
If content creation has felt harder than it should, this workshop will show you a more practical approach — one that respects your time and showcases your knowledge effectively. When attorneys can quickly see how you think, they are far more likely to trust you with their cases.
Join me for this hands-on workshop on January 27, 2026 (and get the recordings when it is over) by going to this link.
Pat Iyer is president of The Pat Iyer Group, which develops resources to assist LNCs in obtaining more clients, making more money, and achieving their business g0als and dreams.
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