<img src="dr-ralph-banner.png" alt="Dr. Ralph Banner">
Dr. Ralph Plugin
A Claude Code plugin for AI-assisted medical diagnostics with comprehensive symptom analysis and research-backed treatment plans.
> Disclaimer: This software is for informational and educational purposes only. It is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
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Table of Contents
- Overview
- Quick Start
- Installation
- Commands
- /dr-ralph:diagnose
- /dr-ralph:cancel
- Diagnostic Workflow
- 5-Phase Process
- Patient Case Management
- SOAP Report Format
- Usage Tips
- When to Use Dr. Ralph
- Architecture
- Disclaimer
- License
- Learn More
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Overview
Dr. Ralph provides a structured 5-phase diagnostic workflow:
Interview → Research → Differential Diagnosis → Treatment Plan → SOAP Report
It uses Claude Code's Stop hook system to iterate through phases until reaching a convincing diagnosis with research-backed treatment recommendations.
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Quick Start
/dr-ralph:diagnose "Persistent fatigue and joint pain" --patient "John Doe"---
Installation
Option 1: From GitHub (Recommended)
claude plugin marketplace add blencorp/dr-ralph
claude plugin install dr-ralphOption 2: Local Directory (Development)
git clone git@github.com:blencorp/dr-ralph.git
claude --plugin-dir /path/to/dr-ralphOption 3: Configure in settings.json
Add to .claude/settings.json:
{
"marketplaces": ["blencorp/dr-ralph"],
"plugins": {
"dr-ralph@blencorp": "enabled"
}
}Verify Installation
/dr-ralph:helpSee the Claude Code plugins documentation for more details.
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Commands
/dr-ralph:diagnose
Full diagnostic workflow with 5 phases.
/dr-ralph:diagnose "I've been having back pain for 3 months" --patient "John Doe"
/dr-ralph:diagnose "Headaches and dizziness" --questions 20Options:
| Flag | Default | Description | |------|---------|-------------| | --patient <name> | anonymous | Patient name for case file | | --questions <n> | 15 | Maximum interview questions | | --output <dir> | @notes/ | Directory for case files | | --max-iterations <n> | unlimited | Max iterations before auto-stop | | --completion-promise <text> | none | Phrase that signals completion |
Output Files:
@notes/[patient].md- Running notes (persists across sessions)@notes/[patient]-report-[timestamp].md- Final SOAP report
/dr-ralph:cancel
Cancel an active diagnostic session.
/dr-ralph:cancel---
Diagnostic Workflow
5-Phase Process
| Phase | Description | |-------|-------------| | 1. Interview | Medical records intake first, then comprehensive symptom questions | | 2. Research | Web search for literature, iterative refinement | | 3. Differential | Confidence-based diagnosis (>80% = single, else top 3-5) | | 4. Treatment | Action plan with urgency levels and follow-up schedule | | 5. Report | SOAP format with executive summary |
Medical Records Handling:
- Records requested FIRST, before symptom questions
- Files processed one-by-one (never all at once)
- Size check before reading - files >3MB trigger warning
- Tip: Use Adobe Acrobat to split large PDFs into sections <3MB
Diagnosis Output:
- >80% confident: Single most likely diagnosis
- Uncertain: Top 3-5 differential diagnoses ranked by likelihood
- Transparency: States uncertainty, distinguishing features, recommended tests
Patient Case Management
@notes/
├── john-doe.md # Patient notes (grows over time)
├── john-doe-report-20240105.md # SOAP report
├── jane-smith.md
└── anonymous.md # Default if no --patient specified- Persistence: Notes are regular markdown files, persist across sessions
- Continuity: Previous notes auto-read at session start
- Multiple patients: Switch cases with
--patientflag
SOAP Report Format
# Patient Report: John Doe
## Date: 2024-01-05
## Executive Summary
[2-3 paragraph overview]
## Subjective
[Patient's reported symptoms]
## Objective
[Research findings with citations]
## Assessment
[Diagnosis or differential with confidence]
## Plan
[Treatment plan with urgency levels]
## Detailed Findings
[Full interview, research, reasoning]
## References
[Cited sources]---
Usage Tips
Safety Limits
Use --max-iterations as a safety net:
/dr-ralph:diagnose "Symptoms" --max-iterations 10 --completion-promise DONEPatient Tracking
Use --patient to maintain continuity across sessions:
/dr-ralph:diagnose "Follow-up on headaches" --patient "John Doe"---
When to Use Dr. Ralph
Good for:
- Comprehensive medical symptom analysis
- Research-backed diagnostic workflows
- Structured patient intake interviews
- Generating SOAP-format documentation
- Tracking patient cases over multiple sessions
Not good for:
- Emergency medical situations (call 911)
- Replacing professional medical advice
- Quick one-off health questions
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Architecture
dr-ralph/
├── .claude-plugin/
│ └── plugin.json # Plugin metadata
├── commands/
│ ├── diagnose.md # /dr-ralph:diagnose
│ ├── cancel.md # /dr-ralph:cancel
│ └── help.md # /dr-ralph:help
├── scripts/
│ └── setup-dr-ralph-diagnose.sh
├── hooks/
│ ├── hooks.json # Stop hook registration
│ └── stop-hook.sh # Iteration control
├── docs/
│ └── diagnose-spec.md # Full diagnostic spec
└── README.md---
Disclaimer
THIS SOFTWARE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
Dr. Ralph is an AI-assisted tool and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something generated by this tool.
BLEN and the authors of this software assume no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or outcomes arising from the use of this tool. Use at your own risk.
Red Flag Handling: Emergency symptoms (chest pain + SOB, sudden severe headache, etc.) are flagged prominently but the workflow continues to gather complete information.
Data Privacy: Remind patients to redact sensitive information from files and answers.
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License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
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Learn More
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Run /dr-ralph:help in Claude Code for detailed command reference.
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Built with ❤️ by BLEN, Inc.
About BLEN
BLEN, Inc is a digital services company that provides Emerging Technology (ML/AI, RPA), Digital Modernization (Legacy to Cloud), and Human-Centered Web/Mobile Design and Development.
