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. 2024 Aug 9;103(32):e39250.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000039250.

ChatGPT in medicine: A cross-disciplinary systematic review of ChatGPT's (artificial intelligence) role in research, clinical practice, education, and patient interaction

Afia Fatima  1 , Muhammad Ashir Shafique  1 , Khadija Alam  2 , Tagwa Kalool Fadlalla Ahmed  3 , Muhammad Saqlain Mustafa  1
Affiliations

ChatGPT in medicine: A cross-disciplinary systematic review of ChatGPT's (artificial intelligence) role in research, clinical practice, education, and patient interaction

Afia Fatima et al. Medicine (Baltimore). .

Abstract

Background: ChatGPT, a powerful AI language model, has gained increasing prominence in medicine, offering potential applications in healthcare, clinical decision support, patient communication, and medical research. This systematic review aims to comprehensively assess the applications of ChatGPT in healthcare education, research, writing, patient communication, and practice while also delineating potential limitations and areas for improvement.

Method: Our comprehensive database search retrieved relevant papers from PubMed, Medline and Scopus. After the screening process, 83 studies met the inclusion criteria. This review includes original studies comprising case reports, analytical studies, and editorials with original findings.

Result: ChatGPT is useful for scientific research and academic writing, and assists with grammar, clarity, and coherence. This helps non-English speakers and improves accessibility by breaking down linguistic barriers. However, its limitations include probable inaccuracy and ethical issues, such as bias and plagiarism. ChatGPT streamlines workflows and offers diagnostic and educational potential in healthcare but exhibits biases and lacks emotional sensitivity. It is useful in inpatient communication, but requires up-to-date data and faces concerns about the accuracy of information and hallucinatory responses.

Conclusion: Given the potential for ChatGPT to transform healthcare education, research, and practice, it is essential to approach its adoption in these areas with caution due to its inherent limitations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Prisma flow chart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Of the 83 studies included in this review, there were 39 analytical studies, 25 case reports, and 19 editorials with original findings. Most of the papers focused on the usage of ChatGPT in academic writing and research, followed by papers on education, clinical practice, and education in that order.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
58 studies presented both positive and negative, 13 presented only negative, and 12 shared only positive findings in their results.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
SWOT Analysis of ChatGPT in Healthcare.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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