Large language models have recently emerged as powerful AI technology with many potential applications. Surgical practice might benefit from its use. Therefore, I decided to investigate what two widely available chatbots, ChatGPT and BingGPT, based on GPT3.5 and GPT4 respectively, had to say.
My prompt to ChatGPT was: Why and how can LLM be used in surgical practice?
Its response:
Large Language Models (LLMs), such as GPT-3 and GPT-4, can be used in surgical practice in a variety of ways to support surgeons and enhance patient care. Here are a few reasons why LLMs can be valuable in surgical practice:
- Knowledge retrieval and decision support: LLMs have access to vast amounts of medical literature and information. Surgeons can use LLMs to retrieve relevant research articles, guidelines, and clinical data to support decision-making during preoperative planning, intraoperative situations, and postoperative care. LLMs can provide up-to-date information on surgical techniques, complications, and treatment options, assisting surgeons in making well-informed decisions.
- Education and training: LLMs can be valuable educational tools for surgeons in training. They can provide access to a wide range of surgical knowledge, case studies, and procedural guidelines. Surgeons can interact with LLMs to ask questions, practice virtual simulations, and receive feedback, which can help enhance their surgical skills and knowledge.
- Natural language interfaces: LLMs can serve as natural language interfaces for surgical documentation and reporting. Surgeons can dictate operative notes, postoperative reports, and other clinical documentation, and LLMs can transcribe and format the information accurately. This can save time and effort for surgeons, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
- Clinical decision support systems: LLMs can be integrated into clinical decision support systems that provide real-time recommendations and alerts based on patient-specific data. By analyzing patient information, LLMs can assist in predicting surgical outcomes, identifying potential complications, and suggesting personalized treatment plans.
It is important to note that while LLMs can provide valuable support in surgical practice, they are not meant to replace the expertise and judgment of surgeons. They are tools that can augment and assist surgeons in their decision-making and knowledge acquisition process.
Additionally, the implementation of LLMs in surgical practice should consider factors such as data privacy and security, ethical considerations, and the need for validation and verification of the information provided by the models.
Overall, the use of LLMs in surgical practice has the potential to improve patient care, enhance surgical decision-making, and support the ongoing education and development of surgeons.
The GPT4 response to the same prompt:
Why and how can Large Language Models be used in surgical practice?
Large Language Models (LLMs) are artificial intelligence systems that can generate natural language texts based on a given input, such as a prompt, a query, or a context. LLMs can be used in surgical practice for various purposes, such as:
- Providing pre-operative information and instructions to patients and their families, such as the risks and benefits of the surgery, the preparation steps, and the recovery process.
- Generating operative reports and summaries based on the surgical data and images, such as the type and duration of the surgery, the instruments and materials used, the complications and outcomes, and the recommendations for follow-up care.
- Enhancing surgical education and training by creating realistic scenarios and cases for simulation and assessment, such as the anatomy and pathology of the patient, the surgical plan and technique, and the possible challenges and errors.
- Supporting surgical decision making and innovation by generating suggestions and alternatives based on the current evidence and best practices, such as the optimal surgical approach, the most suitable device or implant, and the potential improvements or modifications.
LLMs can be used in surgical practice by integrating them with other technologies and platforms, such as voice assistants, chatbots, electronic health records, surgical robots, and augmented reality devices. LLMs can also be customized and fine-tuned for specific surgical domains and tasks, such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, or cardiac surgery.
LLMs have the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of surgical practice by providing accurate and timely information, reducing documentation workload, enhancing learning and skill development, and facilitating creativity and innovation. However, LLMs also pose some challenges and limitations, such as ensuring their reliability, validity, safety, ethics, and accountability. Therefore, LLMs should be used in surgical practice with caution and supervision, and in collaboration with human experts.