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The recent emergence of large language models (LLMs) has led to a revolution in information technology, with healthcare being at the forefront of this transformation. LLMs simulate and reproduce human language expression and understanding. When trained with appropriate data, they can accurately generate medical information.1 The potential of LLM in the medical realm is vast, and many future applications of this technology remain yet to be discovered. Publications around this topic appear rapidly, and systematic reviews have sought to provide an oversight of the current body of knowledge.2 3 As we look to the future, it is essential to understand the diverse roles LLM might play in healthcare and the enormous benefits it can bring while recognising its potential drawbacks and identifying factors relevant for safe application of this technology in the healthcare setting.4 Even though initiatives surrounding the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and LLM in healthcare and medicine have previously been announced, there is a need for an open, low-threshold collaborative for clinicians, researchers and patient representatives alike (table 1).
Previously announced initiatives surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) in healthcare (not exhaustive)
The HeAL (Healthcare AI Language) Group—HeALgroup.AI was founded to better understand medicine-science applications of LLM and its implication on medical practice.5 We aim to provide a community-based, low-threshold, open platform for healthcare providers, researchers and patient representatives. This contrasts with previously announced initiatives and research collaborations, which have a higher entry threshold due to their academic and institutional purpose or seek to provide collaboration between the healthcare industry and academia. Our initiative serves as a platform to connect individuals interested in LLM research within the medical context to exchange research ideas, bundle efforts and accomplish research goals. A low entry threshold allows individuals without previous academic track record or institutional affiliation to join. This initiative therefore is not competing with ongoing institutional research groups but aims to complement those efforts and create collaborations wherever possible. Research must be conducted within the ethical as well as quality standards previously defined.6 Sought to be tackled with this initiative, the major challenge will be active contribution and steering of the development of LLM applications, rather than taking on the role of a bystander, faced with a fait accompli. Usage of human intelligence to identify applications for LLM in healthcare, defining rules of engagement and active exchange of ideas will stand at the core of HeAL Group’s mission. Identification of gaps of knowledge, defining research aims, creation of an active community and laying groundwork for the safe implementation of LLM in healthcare will be the first targets of this collaboration.
With this letter, the authors would like to issue an invitation to all interested healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient representatives to join and contribute to the platform.
The future of healthcare is undoubtedly linked to the advancements in LLM. Its integration into medical research and practice holds a potential that might not yet be understood in its entirety. As we learn to use this technology to our advantage, it is pivotal to ensure that ethical considerations and patient safety remain at the core of AI’s healthcare journey, keeping the patient as our focus of attention.
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Footnotes
Twitter @baschi85
Collaborators Dimitri Raptis (Liver Transplant and HPB Surgery, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Sebastian Staubli (Department of HPB Surgery and Liver Transplant, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK); Michael Spiro (Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK); Saleh Al Qahtani, (H.E. Dr.) Chairman, Board of Directors & Executive Director (Royal Clinics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Basel Jobeir (Surgery, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center & Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Abdulrahman K. Alobied (Head of Development and Loyalty, Amyal Smart, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Alexandra Aldana (Pediatric Transplant Hepatology, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Arvinder Singh Soin (Medanta Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta-The Medicity, Delhi, India); Deniz Saner (ENLYZE, Co-founder, IIoT Manufacturing Data Platform, Cologne, Germany); Camila Hidalgo Salinas (Surgery, Global Healthcare Sciences, University of Oxford, UK); Ehab Abufarhaneh (Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Quality & Patient Experience, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Fuat Saner (Intensive Care, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Jennie Engstrand (Division of Surgery, Karolinska Institutet at Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden); Johannes Wienker (Department of Interventional Pneumonology, Medical Center University Duisburg-Essen, Germany); Harriet Louise Walker (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK); Kris Marquez (Clinical Trial Coordinator, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Maha Assubayii (Transplant Psychology, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Mamdouh Alenazi (Transplant Psychology, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Matthias Malago (Pythia Labs, ML Engineer, Los Angeles, CA, USA); Massimo Malago (Liver transplant, HPB and Upper GI Surgery, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Mohamed El hibouri (Pythia Labs, Head of AI, Los Angeles, CA, USA); Maha Nadine Bassas (Healthcare Systems Engineer, Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Noman Mahmood (Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK); Noor Al Saadoun (Senior Lecturer in Cancer Biology, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Nicholas Syn (Division of Biomedical Informatics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore); Vincent Ochs (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland); Pascale Tinguely (Department of HPB and Liver Transplant, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK); Ryan Alenazi (Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Sarah Bigham (Department of Intensive Care, Royal Devon University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK); Yasemin Saner (Department of Urology, Essen University Hospital, Germany).
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.