Large language models in medicine: the potentials and pitfalls
Jesutofunmi A. Omiye Haiwen Gui Shawheen J. Rezaei James Zou Roxana Daneshjou
Large language models (LLMs) have been applied to tasks in healthcare,
ranging from medical exam questions to responding to patient questions. With
increasing institutional partnerships between companies producing LLMs and
healthcare systems, real world clinical application is coming closer to
reality. As these models gain traction, it is essential for healthcare
practitioners to understand what LLMs are, their development, their current and
potential applications, and the associated pitfalls when utilized in medicine.
This review and accompanying tutorial aim to give an overview of these topics
to aid healthcare practitioners in understanding the rapidly changing landscape
of LLMs as applied to medicine.