Lloyd Price
- Oct 14, 2023

LLM's in Healthcare AI: does the evidence match the hype?

Exec Summary

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that large language models (LLMs) can be effective in a variety of healthcare applications. For example, studies have shown that LLMs can be used to:

Extract insights from clinical text analysis: LLMs have been shown to be able to extract insights from unstructured clinical texts, such as electronic health records, discharge summaries, and clinical notes, with high accuracy. This can help clinicians identify trends and patterns, make more informed decisions, and improve patient care.
Answer patient queries: LLMs have been shown to be able to answer patient questions about their health, medications, and treatments with high accuracy. This can help patients get the information they need quickly and easily, and it can also free up clinicians' time so they can focus on more complex tasks.
Provide clinical decision support: LLMs have been shown to be able to provide clinical decision support to clinicians by helping them make more informed decisions about patient care. For example, LLMs can be used to identify potential drug interactions, suggest treatment options, and predict patient outcomes.
Accelerate medical research: LLMs have been shown to be able to analyze large datasets of medical research literature to identify new insights and trends. This can help accelerate the pace of medical discovery and lead to new and better treatments for patients.

However, it is important to note that LLMs are still a relatively new technology, and more research is needed to fully validate their effectiveness in healthcare settings. Additionally, it is important to use LLMs responsibly and to be aware of their potential limitations.

For example, LLMs can be biased, and they can sometimes generate inaccurate or misleading information. Therefore, it is important to carefully review the output of LLMs and to consult with human experts before making any decisions based on their output.

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Intro to large language models

Large language models (LLMs) are a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that are trained on massive datasets of text and code. This allows them to generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way.

In healthcare, LLMs are being used to improve patient care in a variety of ways, including:

Diagnosis and treatment: LLMs can be used to analyse patient data and identify potential health problems. They can also be used to generate treatment plans and recommend medications.
Research: LLMs can be used to analyze large datasets of medical research papers. This can help researchers to identify new trends and insights.
Education: LLMs can be used to create personalised learning experiences for healthcare professionals. They can also be used to create educational resources for patients and their families.
Administrative tasks: LLMs can be used to automate a variety of administrative tasks in healthcare, such as scheduling appointments and generating reports.

LLMs are still a relatively new technology, but they have the potential to revolutionize healthcare. By automating tasks, improving diagnosis and treatment, and supporting research, LLMs can help to make healthcare more efficient, effective, and accessible.

Here are some specific examples of how LLMs are being used in healthcare:

InteliHealth: InteliHealth is a US-based company that uses LLMs to create personalized health plans. Patients can use the InteliHealth website to answer questions about their health and lifestyle. The LLM will then generate a personalised plan that includes recommendations for diet, exercise, and medication.
Google Health: Google Health is a personal health record (PHR) that uses LLMs to help patients manage their health. Patients can use Google Health to track their medical history, medications, and symptoms. The LLM can then generate reports and insights that can help patients to better understand their health.
Viz.ai: Viz.ai is a company that uses LLMs to develop software that can help doctors to diagnose strokes and other brain injuries more quickly and accurately. Viz.ai's software uses LLMs to analyse medical images, such as CT scans and MRI scans, and to identify potential abnormalities.
GNS Healthcare: GNS Healthcare is a company that uses LLMs to develop software that can help clinicians to make better treatment decisions. GNS Healthcare's software uses LLMs to analyse patient data, such as medical records, laboratory results, and imaging data, to identify the best course of treatment for each individual patient.
Health Catalyst: Health Catalyst offers a variety of LLM-powered solutions for healthcare organizations. For example, Health Catalyst's LLM-powered platform can be used to identify patients who are at high risk for certain conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. This information can then be used to develop targeted prevention and intervention programs

These are just a few examples of how LLMs are being used in healthcare. As LLMs continue to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective applications of this technology in the years to come.

Advantages of large language models in healthcare AI

Here are some of the advantages of using LLMs in healthcare:

Improved diagnosis and treatment: LLMs can be used to analyse patient data and identify potential health problems. They can also be used to generate treatment plans and recommend medications. This can help to improve the accuracy and efficiency of healthcare delivery.
Support for research: LLMs can be used to analyze large datasets of medical research papers. This can help researchers to identify new trends and insights that can lead to new treatments and cures.
Personalised learning experiences: LLMs can be used to create personalized learning experiences for healthcare professionals. This can help them to stay up-to-date on the latest medical knowledge and best practices.
Automated administrative tasks: LLMs can be used to automate a variety of administrative tasks in healthcare, such as scheduling appointments and generating reports. This can free up healthcare professionals to focus on providing care to patients.

Overall, LLMs have the potential to revolutionize healthcare by making it more efficient, effective, and accessible. As LLMs continue to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective applications of this technology in the years to come.

Disadvantages of large language models in healthcare AI

LLMs are still a relatively new technology, but they have the potential to revolutionise healthcare. By automating tasks, improving diagnosis and treatment, and supporting research, LLMs can help to make healthcare more efficient, effective, and accessible.

However, there are also some potential disadvantages to using LLMs in healthcare, including:

Bias: LLMs are trained on massive datasets of text and code, which can introduce bias into the model. This bias can lead to inaccurate or unfair results, especially when the model is used to make decisions about patient care.
Accuracy: LLMs are still under development, and their accuracy can vary depending on the task at hand. In some cases, LLMs may not be accurate enough to be used in clinical settings.
Interpretability: LLMs are complex models, and it can be difficult to understand how they make decisions. This can make it difficult to trust the results of LLMs, especially in critical situations.
Security: LLMs can be vulnerable to security attacks, which could allow attackers to manipulate the model or steal sensitive data.

Overall, LLMs have the potential to revolutionise healthcare, but it is important to be aware of the potential risks and limitations of this technology. As LLMs continue to develop, it is important to ensure that they are used in a safe and responsible manner.

Final Thoughts

Large language models (LLMs) are a subset of deep learning. Deep learning is a type of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks to learn from data.

Neural networks are inspired by the structure and function of the human brain, and they are made up of layers of interconnected nodes.

Each node performs a simple mathematical operation, and the nodes are connected in such a way that the output of one node becomes the input to the next node.

LLMs are a type of deep learning model that is specifically designed to learn and process language. LLMs are trained on massive datasets of text and code, and they learn to identify patterns and relationships in language.

This allows LLMs to perform a variety of tasks, such as generating text, translating languages, and answering questions in a comprehensive and informative way.

Some of the most popular LLMs include GPT-3, LaMDA, and PaLM. These models have been shown to be capable of performing a wide range of tasks, including:

Generating text that is indistinguishable from human-written text
Translating languages with high accuracy
Answering questions in a comprehensive and informative way, even when they are open ended, challenging, or strange
Writing different kinds of creative text formats of text content, like poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, email, letters, etc.

LLMs are still under development, but they have the potential to revolutionise the way we interact with computers and the world around us.