What is ChatGPT, and what does it mean for clinical practice?

Author  Centre for Online Health, UQ
Date 14 April 2023

Dr Aaron Snoswell from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society at QUT have collaborated with Dr Centaine Snoswell, Dr Anthony Smith, Dr Jaimon Kelly and Dr Liam Caffery from UQ Centre for Online Health and Centre for Health Services Research.

Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, are transforming the telehealth landscape and becoming an integral part of digital healthcare. Their integration into search engines, Microsoft products, and other applications will change how patients and clinicians access information. LLMs have the potential to improve telehealth services, including remote-monitoring, health record summaries, and patient resources. However, they also have limitations, such as a tendency to generate false or misleading information. Clinicians need to be aware of LLMs’ capabilities and limitations, ensuring any LLM-generated content is fact-checked for accuracy. Digital and health literacy remain crucial for both healthcare providers and patients, as LLMs become increasingly integrated into clinical practice.