Module 4 · inside your files

Working IN your files: Office & Workspace

Until now you copied and pasted between browser and Word. From here you'll use AI inside the file itself: Claude in Word/Excel/PowerPoint (M365 add-in), Gemini in Gmail/Docs/Sheets, and Microsoft Copilot briefly as reference. And new: Claude also builds complete files for you, a ready-made PowerPoint (.pptx) and a working mini tool (HTML artifact). When you do that and when you don't.

Practical: this module works best on a work computer with M365 or Google Workspace set up by your hospital. Don't have that yet? The prompts work on your own account too, just a bit different.

Working IN your files

Lesson 4.1: Three routes inside your files

Goal: know which route fits which work environment, without holy war.

At the hospital secretariat, there are roughly three routes to bring AI really into your file:

Claude M365 add-in

Claude edits Word, Excel, PowerPoint directly. Marks changes, can build formulas, rewrite slides. Comes with Claude Pro/Team/Enterprise. For healthcare institutions on M365 often the most practical route.

Gemini in Google Workspace

Gemini lives in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive. No copy-paste: it “sees” what's in your document. Deepest integration if your work is in Google Workspace.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft's own variant in M365 (based on GPT models). In a hospital licence sometimes already available; check with IT. Currently less famous for file-editing than Claude, but that's changing fast.

What if none of those routes is approved?

Then the normal route remains: a free chat in another tab, with the right prompts (as you learned in modules 2 and 3). Module 5 helps you draft a short question for IT/CIO to check what your hospital allows.

Question for lesson 4.1

1. Which factor most determines which “in-file” AI you use?

Lesson 4.2: Live: Claude in Word (M365 add-in or via chat)

Goal: rewrite an agenda planning directly in a Word file, with track changes.

Do you have Claude Pro/Team/Enterprise with the M365 add-in? Then you work directly in Word. Don't have that? Then do the exercise via the regular Claude chat, copy your document text back and forth. Both work; the first route is just faster and cleaner.

Live exercise 4.2: Rewrite a meeting agenda in Word

Create a short draft meeting agenda (4-5 items) in Word. Or paste the fictional one below into a Word document. Then open Claude (via add-in or in a browser tab).

Fictional draft agenda: “Item 1: roster next week. Item 2: new resident introduction. Item 3: status resident teaching programme. Item 4: any other business. Item 5: open round.”

Role: experienced staff secretary cardiology. Context: above (or in this Word document) is a draft meeting agenda. I want to upgrade it. Task: rewrite the agenda so that: 1) each line starts with the category (to decide / FYI / open question); 2) each item has 1 sentence of context (who reports on it, or what triggered it); 3) each item has indicative time in minutes (total 45 min meeting); 4) at the bottom comes one line with "preparation material" (what participants should have read in advance). No patient data, no invented facts. Deliver in English. Mark changes against the original.
Open in Claude ↗ Open in ChatGPT ↗

With M365 add-in: click “Claude” in your Word toolbar → select the text → give the prompt. Changes appear directly with markings. Without add-in: copy agenda into the Claude chat, paste result back into Word.

Lesson 4.3: Live: Excel work with Claude (an absence calendar)

Goal: build a simple Excel table quickly plus one useful formula.

Excel is where many secretariats live daily. Claude is surprisingly strong here: it builds tables, can write formulas, and explain what a formula does. Either you work with the M365 add-in (directly in Excel), or you have Claude type a table you copy over.

Live exercise 4.3: Make an absence calendar

Open Claude. Paste this prompt.

Role: staff secretary cardiology setting up a simple absence calendar for the MDT team. Task: produce an Excel table proposal (in plain text Markdown table format) with: - Column A: staff member (example: 6 fictional names, e.g. "Cardiologist 1" through "Cardiologist 4" and "Resident 1", "Secretary 1"); - Columns B through H: weeks (week 38 through week 44); - Fill cells with appointment codes: V = leave, C = congress, T = home/training, empty = present; - Invent a realistic and balanced leave pattern (max 2 people away at the same time). Below add: 1) An Excel formula counting per week how many people are present (Excel syntax with cell references, e.g. =COUNTBLANK(...)); 2) One sentence explaining what the formula does. No patient data. Deliver the table in Markdown so I can paste it into Excel.
Open in Claude ↗

Important: Claude builds a formula based on what it invents. Test once whether the formula really fits, type it into Excel with test data. When in doubt, ask: “Explain how this formula works and exactly what it counts.”

Question for lesson 4.3

2. How do you handle an AI-generated Excel formula?

Lesson 4.4: Live: Gemini in Google Workspace

Goal: experience that Gemini knows your documents when you're in Workspace.

Does your department work in Google Workspace? Then Gemini is built in. It can read your Gmail/Drive/Docs, with your organisation's consent. For a secretariat that's very powerful: “Gemini, summarise Cardiologist A's mail thread from this week” works without pasting anything.

Check first

Gemini in Workspace can read your Drive/Gmail/Docs if that feature is enabled. Check with your IT whether it's on for your account and which folders (e.g. patient records, board folders) are excluded. In some hospitals this is deliberately restricted.

Live exercise 4.4: Let Gemini summarise a Gmail thread

Do you have Gemini in Workspace available? Open a mail thread from last week (no patient data, nothing confidential).

Summarise this mail thread in: - 3 sentences of what was decided; - 3 action items with owner and deadline (if stated); - 2 open questions still to be resolved. Don't invent anything. When unclear: write "not stated in this thread".
Open in Gemini ↗ Open Gmail ↗

No Workspace? Just paste the texts of a few emails into Claude with the same prompt. The result is almost identical, only you do the copy-paste work yourself.

Lesson 4.5: PowerPoint: rewrite a slide

Goal: upgrade a slide from an MDT meeting or a teaching moment with one prompt.

PowerPoint slides for a meeting or for training are a typical case where AI takes a lot of typing work off your hands. With Claude (M365 add-in) it happens inside the file itself; without the add-in you work with a chat and copy text per slide. Both work.

Live exercise 4.5: Upgrade slide text

Suppose you have a draft slide for a department meeting with the text “Clinic throughput has gotten longer. We want to look at solutions.” Too flat. Open Claude.

Role: staff secretary cardiology preparing an MDT presentation. Context: a draft slide with this text: "Clinic throughput has gotten longer. We want to look at solutions." Task: rewrite the slide in a more professional and concrete format: - Title: max 8 words, sharp and activating; - 3 bullet points with concrete information (the sentence now is too flat): * bullet 1: one factual observation (e.g. a benchmark or comparison with last quarter, since I haven't given numbers, use "[X weeks → Y weeks]" placeholders); * bullet 2: one decision or proposal; * bullet 3: one clear first action item with owner and deadline; - Below the slide: a 1-line speaking sentence the presenter can use when opening this slide. No invented numbers; use "[X]" placeholders where I fill in numbers later. Deliver in a format I can copy into PowerPoint.
Open in Claude ↗

Trick: the placeholder “[X weeks → Y weeks]” in your prompt prevents Claude from inventing numbers. It then neatly inserts placeholders that you replace with real data later.

Lesson 4.6: Microsoft Copilot in the hospital

Goal: know what Microsoft Copilot is, how it compares to Claude/Gemini, and what's in your work environment.

Microsoft Copilot is the umbrella name for Microsoft's AI features inside M365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams). Under the hood, Copilot uses OpenAI's GPT models, but Microsoft has built its own environment around them with “enterprise data protection”: data is in principle not used to further train OpenAI models, and stays within your Microsoft tenant.

For a Dutch hospital already on M365 (a large majority), Copilot is therefore often the first route that gets IT approval. Important to understand:

  • Not all Copilot versions are the same. “Copilot Chat” (free, via copilot.microsoft.com) is different from “Copilot in M365” (paid licence per user). The difference is which documents Copilot may read and what data guarantees apply.
  • Deep integration if you use Outlook/Teams/Word. Copilot can summarise a Teams meeting, organise a mail thread, or rewrite a Word document, all within the Microsoft environment without copy-pasting.
  • Not automatically “safe for patient data”. Even with an enterprise licence: only what your organisation has explicitly approved. Check with IT which data classifications (public, internal, confidential, patient data) are allowed where.
Copilot Chat (free)

Similar to free ChatGPT, with Microsoft branding. For one-off questions. Has no access to your work mail, calendar or files unless you sign in to them.

Copilot in M365 (paid licence)

Works inside Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook/Teams. Knows your work documents and can summarise and edit them. Often included with the hospital licence when one is procured.

Live exercise 4.6: Test Copilot Chat with the same question

Open Copilot Chat (free). Paste the same mail prompt as in module 1. Compare with your earlier ChatGPT and Claude answers.

You are an experienced staff secretary cardiology. Write a short internal email (3-5 lines) to five professors to collect availability for an MDT in two weeks. The email must: - ask about two slot options (Tuesday or Thursday); - ask for a reply within three working days; - close friendly without formal salutation. No patient data. Deliver subject + body.
Open Copilot Chat ↗

Compare: Copilot Chat sits stylistically between ChatGPT and Claude. For short one-off tasks it's good; for long minutes Claude remains the calmest route. For “edit inside my work file” the M365 version is the winner, if your hospital has that licence.

Questions for lesson 4.6

What's the main difference between Copilot Chat (free) and Copilot in M365 (paid licence)?

Can you process patient data freely with Copilot in M365 (enterprise licence)?

Lesson 4.7: Excel advanced: build a mini dashboard

Goal: have Claude build a simple Excel dashboard with formulas + pivot + formatting.

For most secretariats Excel remains the most-used tool next to Outlook. A mini dashboard, e.g. “how many annual reviews have already been held and which are still open?”, is often built right the first time with AI help, even though people wouldn't comfortably explore Excel's menus for it themselves.

Live exercise 4.7: Mini dashboard: annual reviews & staffing

Open Claude. Paste.

Role: experienced staff secretary cardiology building a simple Excel dashboard for the department head. Context: I keep an Excel for the department team. Tab "Staff" has these columns: - A: Initials (letters only, no surnames) - B: Role (Cardiologist / Resident / Fellow / Nurse practitioner) - C: FTE (number between 0 and 1) - D: Date last annual review (DD-MM-YYYY, empty = not yet this year) - E: Date next annual review planned (DD-MM-YYYY, empty = still to plan) Task: explain how I make a second tab "Dashboard" with: 1) At the top four "tiles" (KPI cells): - Total number of staff; - Sum of FTE per role group; - Number of open annual reviews (column D empty for this calendar year); - Number of annual reviews already scheduled in the next 8 weeks (column E within that range). 2) Below that a simple pivot overview: per role (rows) x “annual-review status” (held / scheduled / open) the number of people. 3) Below that one chart (bar) of "Number of annual reviews per month for the next 6 months" (based on column E). Deliver: - For each of the four KPI cells: an Excel formula (=COUNTIFS(...), =SUMIFS(...) or similar). Write each formula out neatly with cell references. - For the pivot: step-by-step how I make it (which column to drag where). - For the chart: step-by-step how I insert it. Requirements: - Clear English, no jargon I don't know. - No full names in examples: only initials or fictional labels. - Step-by-step with numbered steps.
Open in Claude ↗

Test every formula with fictional data before putting it in a real sheet. Make a test file with 10 fictional rows and check whether the tiles show the right numbers.

Lesson 4.8: Have a complete presentation built (a real .pptx)

Goal: have Claude generate a ready-made PowerPoint file that you download and polish.

In lesson 4.5 you rewrote the text of one slide. Claude can go a step further: it builds a real PowerPoint file (.pptx) that you download and open in PowerPoint. Useful for e.g. an introduction presentation for new staff members, a look-back for the staff meeting or an explanation of the annual-review process. You supply the content and requirements; Claude builds the structure and the slides.

Live exercise 4.8: Introduction presentation for new staff

Open Claude and paste the prompt below. Explicitly ask for a downloadable .pptx file, Claude will then build it as a file you can save.

Role: experienced staff secretary cardiology. Task: build a PowerPoint presentation as a downloadable .pptx file of 8 slides titled "Welcome to the cardiology department, practical guide for new staff members". Content per slide: 1) Title slide with subtitle and a date placeholder; 2) Who is who: role groups in the department (cardiologists, residents, fellows, nurse practitioners, secretariat), no real names, use [NAME] placeholders; 3) First working day: where to report, badge pick-up, parking; 4) IT access: which accounts and forms, and the lead time (use placeholders); 5) Regular meetings: staff meeting, MDT and teaching session (days as [DAY] placeholders); 6) Sick leave and requesting leave: with whom and how; 7) Expense claims and practical matters; 8) Secretariat contact + where to go with questions. Requirements: - Calm, businesslike layout; max 5 bullets per slide; - Don't invent names, phone numbers or times, use [NAME], [PHONE], [DAY] as placeholders; - Clear English, no hospital jargon a newcomer wouldn't know; - Deliver as a downloadable .pptx file.
Open in Claude ↗

After downloading: open the file in PowerPoint, check the layout, fill in the placeholders and optionally apply your hospital's house-style template. The structure and typing are already done, that's where the time is won.

Lesson 4.9: Have a handy mini tool built (HTML artifact)

Goal: experience that Claude can build a working mini program for you that you use straight in your browser.

Beyond text and files, Claude can also make artifacts: small working web pages that appear next to the chat. You can use them directly, download them as a single HTML file and put them on your desktop, no installation, no IT request needed. For a staff secretariat that's surprisingly practical: think of an onboarding checklist, a simple annual-review tracker or a tick-off list for staff-meeting preparation.

Live exercise 4.9: Interactive onboarding checklist

Open Claude and paste. Claude builds the tool as an artifact next to the chat; use the download button to save it as an HTML file.

Role: experienced staff secretary cardiology. Task: build an interactive HTML page (one file, as an artifact) that I can use locally in my browser: an onboarding checklist for new staff members of the department. Features: - At the top an input field for the new staff member's initials and start date; - A checklist in three blocks: "Before the first day" (request badge, request IT accounts, parking card, send welcome email), "First week" (tour, introduction meeting, verify access, share roster), "First month" (schedule first annual review, evaluation moment, confirm access to all systems); - Tickable items with a progress bar at the top; - A reset button and a print button; - Everything stays local in the browser (localStorage); no data leaves the page. Requirements: - Clear English, calm colours, no external libraries; - Works as a standalone HTML file that I can download and put on my desktop.
Open in Claude ↗

Privacy tip: use initials, not full names, certainly if you share the file with colleagues. Want a different tool? Replace the checklist with e.g. an annual-review tracker or an agenda builder for the staff meeting; the prompt structure stays the same.

Lesson 4.10: When copy-paste is a win

Goal: develop an honest sense of when a chat-tab beats working in-file.

Add-ins are often useful, but not always. A few scenarios where a plain chat-tab is simply one step faster:

  • Short text (< 1 paragraph): the time to open the add-in exceeds copy-paste.
  • Very different output from input: e.g. turning dictation into email text. The add-in then marks so many changes that overview is lost.
  • Documents with patient-data residue: rather work in a controlled chat environment where you see what you paste than automatically with an add-in that “sees” everything.
  • Unknown / amber on data residency: until you know which add-in runs on which route, a chat-tab where you deliberately cut is safer.

Question for lesson 4.10

What's the practical rule of thumb for add-in versus chat-tab?

Take-home of module 4

Three in-file routes

Claude M365 add-in · Gemini in Workspace · Microsoft Copilot. Which fits depends on your hospital suite.

Excel: test your formula

AI invents formulas at lightning speed. Test once on a known row of values, then trust.

Placeholders instead of invented facts

“[X weeks → Y weeks]” in your prompt prevents number hallucinations. End user (you) fills in later.

Add-in or chat-tab?

No dogma. Add-in for long in-file work; chat-tab for short, different format, or amber data.

Copilot knows your work environment

Microsoft Copilot in M365 is often the first IT-approved route, sits inside your tenant. Policy remains leading for patient data.

Excel dashboard in one prompt

A simple KPI overview + pivot + chart can be explained in one prompt. Test every formula with fictional data.

Claude builds files

A complete .pptx presentation or a working HTML tool (artifact) from one prompt. You supply content and requirements; Claude builds. Placeholders in, house style over, done.

← Module 3 On to module 5 →