AI can help you find information quickly, but how do you know whether the answer it gives you is correct? This is particularly important when using AI for legal work, where an incorrect date, diagnosis or event could change how information within a case is understood. AI generated answers should be treated as a useful starting point, with the ability to check the information against the original source.
Check the source
The first question to ask is: where has the answer come from?
Some AI tools can provide an answer without showing the information used to generate it. This makes it much harder to know whether the answer is supported by the source material.
Where possible, check the answer against the original document or information the AI has used. For example, if an AI tool identifies the date a claimant was first referred to a specialist, you should be able to return to the relevant medical record and confirm that date for yourself.
Look for citations
Citations make this process much easier. Instead of just giving an answer, an AI system with citations can point you towards the specific source it has used. This gives you a clear route back to the original information and allows you to check the context around it.
For legal teams working with medical records, this is particularly useful. A single entry may only tell part of the story, so being able to see the surrounding information can be just as important as finding the answer itself.
Check the context
An answer can be factually correct but still miss important context.
A medical record may mention the same condition, symptom or treatment several times across different dates and healthcare providers. Looking at the original record allows you to understand where the information sits within the wider medical history.
It’s important not only to check that an answer exists in the source material, but also that it accurately reflects what the source says.
Be specific with your questions
The quality of an AI generated answer can also depend on the question being asked.
A broad or unclear question may result in a broad answer. Being specific about what you’re looking for can help the AI understand the information you need.
Instead of asking:
What happened with the claimant’s knee?
You might ask:
When was the claimant first referred to an orthopaedic consultant for their knee?
A more specific question gives the system a clearer task and can make the resulting answer easier to check.
Know when to use professional judgement
Checking an answer isn’t only about confirming that a piece of information appears in a document. There is an important difference between finding information and deciding what that information means.
AI might help identify when a symptom was first recorded or when a particular treatment took place. Understanding the clinical or legal significance of that information still requires professional judgement.
AI should support that process, rather than make the decision for you.
How does Ask Alex make answers easier to check?
Ask Alex is our AI assistant within MedBrief Insights, designed to help users find information within their case documents. Users can ask Alex questions about their case and receive answers based on the information available within those documents.
The answers include citations, allowing users to see where the information has come from and return to the original record to check it themselves.
This means you’re not just presented with an AI generated answer. You have a direct route back to the information behind it.
Keeping the user in control
AI can make finding information within large volumes of medical records much quicker, but users should still be able to check the information they’re given. When using AI for legal work, look for systems that make it clear where information has come from, provide access to the original source and allow you to verify the answer for yourself.