Palpate Health AI is for clinicians, educators, researchers, and health leaders trying to make sense of AI in healthcare without hype, panic, or vague policy fog.

I write about practical distinctions: chatbots versus agents, free tools versus stronger reasoning systems, experimentation versus implementation, and the gap between fast AI releases and slow healthcare governance.

The aim is simple: help thoughtful health people stay oriented while the tools, risks, and defaults are changing quickly.

Getting a feel for this blog

Health AI is moving fast. What does it really mean for clinicians, patients, and the everyday conversations we have about health?

I’m Dr Joshua W Pate, a paediatric pain researcher. In Palpate, I run hands-on experiments with the latest AI systems, testing their limits in real clinical-style scenarios. Each post breaks down what works, what fails, and what surprises me. I’ll use evolving scorecards, reflections, and all of my curiosity along the way.

I also lead a team of 39 researchers studying clinical AI. So while this newsletter is curious and playful, it’s also grounded in evidence and practice. My goal is to help you stay up-to-date with how AI is reshaping health.

Beyond Palpate, I am a university academic, I write children’s books about pain, I give talks and media interviews on science and health, and I dive into all sorts of projects where science meets storytelling.

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