How AskMed answers
Last updated November 3, 2026
AskMed is an AI medical reference app for healthcare professionals and students. Each answer is written by AI from trusted medical sources, and every claim links to the source it came from, so you can check it yourself.
- Cited sourcesJournals, clinical guidelines and drug labels, linked after each claim
- No source, no answerIf nothing trusted is found, AskMed says so instead of guessing
- No drug dosesNever amounts, schedules or dose calculations
- AI-generatedCheck the source before acting on an answer
Where answers come from
Before writing, AskMed searches a fixed list of medical sources. It does not search the open web, forums or social media.
- Medical journals and databases: PubMed and PubMed Central, the Cochrane Library, NEJM, The Lancet, JAMA, The BMJ and 11 specialty journals in cardiology, diabetes, pediatrics, respiratory medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, oncology, neurology, gastroenterology and psychiatry.
- Clinical guidelines and health agencies: NICE, the US Preventive Services Task Force, WHO, CDC, ECDC, the National Cancer Institute, and guideline groups such as ESC, KDIGO, GINA, GOLD, IDSA and ACOG.
- Drug labels: FDA and DailyMed. For local brand names, AskMed also looks in official drug registries from many countries, such as the EMA and the UK's medicines.org.uk.
- Medical references: the NCBI Bookshelf (including StatPearls), the MSD and Merck Manuals for professionals, and BMJ Best Practice.
Guidelines and health agencies come first, then systematic reviews and meta-analyses, then review articles and references, then large trials and other studies. Recent sources (the last 10 years) are preferred, and when guidance has changed, the answer says so.
Every claim is cited
Each sentence or claim links to the source that supports it, using the source's exact web address. Answers draw on several different sources rather than leaning on one. In the app you can turn source types on or off (journals, guidelines, drug labels, references) and choose which kinds of studies to use: systematic reviews and meta-analyses, review articles, clinical trials, or other studies.
If you attach a PDF or image, AskMed can cite your file for what the file itself says. Every other medical fact in the answer still needs a published source.
No source, no answer
If the search finds no usable medical source, or the question isn't a medical one, AskMed doesn't answer from memory. It replies that it couldn't find medical sources and asks you to rephrase the question.
No drug doses
AskMed never gives medication doses, dose amounts, dose calculations, titration schedules, how often to take a drug, or patient-specific prescribing instructions. This holds for exam questions, hypothetical cases and requests to quote a drug label too. Dose numbers are also removed from the source excerpts it shows.
You still get the rest of the answer: what the drug is used for, how it works, first-line and alternative options, how dosing is chosen and adjusted (for kidney or liver function, age, weight or interactions), monitoring, side effects and safety. Exact dosing comes from the current prescribing information and the treating clinician.
Answers are AI-generated
Every answer is written by an AI language model from the sources it found. A person does not review answers before you see them. AI can misread a source, miss something important or leave something out, so open the cited source before you rely on an answer.
Deep Dive reports (AskMed Max) go through one more automated step after they are written: a second AI pass corrects sentences that contradict their sources, the drug label or the current guideline, and adds missing safety facts such as contraindications, boxed warnings and interactions. This step is automated too, not a human review.
How to check an answer
Every answer is meant to be checked, and checking is quick once you know where to look.
- Open the citation behind the claim you'll act on. Make sure the source says what the sentence says, for the same group of patients. A trial in adults doesn't answer a question about children.
- Look at the date and the type of source. A current guideline outweighs an older review, and one small study is weaker than a meta-analysis.
- Check whose guidance it is. NICE, US and European guidelines can disagree, so follow the one that applies where you practise.
- Get doses from the label. Use the current prescribing information or your local formulary for amounts and schedules.
Getting a better answer
An answer is only as specific as the question. Say who the patient is (age, pregnancy, kidney or liver function), the setting (primary care, emergency or inpatient) and your country when local practice matters. Use the drug's generic name. Ask one clear question at a time, and if the answer is broader than you need, ask again with more detail.
Limits
- AskMed is for education and reference by healthcare professionals and students. It is not a substitute for your doctor or for clinical judgment.
- It is not a symptom checker. It doesn't diagnose patients or decide treatment for a person.
- It is not for emergencies. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
- Sources can be out of date, incomplete, or disagree with each other, and local guidelines and drug approvals differ by country.
- AskMed carries no pharma advertising or sponsorship.
Questions or a wrong answer
Write to support@getaskmed.com, or tap the thumbs down under any answer in the app and say what went wrong.
