Evaluating large language model workflows in clinical decision support for triage and referral and diagnosis.

Journal: NPJ digital medicine
Published Date:

Abstract

Accurate medical decision-making is critical for both patients and clinicians. Patients often struggle to interpret their symptoms, determine their severity, and select the right specialist. Simultaneously, clinicians face challenges in integrating complex patient data to make timely, accurate diagnoses. Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) offer the potential to bridge this gap by supporting decision-making for both patients and healthcare providers. In this study, we benchmark multiple LLM versions and an LLM-based workflow incorporating retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) on a curated dataset of 2000 medical cases derived from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database. Our findings show that these LLMs are capable of providing personalized insights into likely diagnoses, suggesting appropriate specialists, and assessing urgent care needs. These models may also support clinicians in refining diagnoses and decision-making, offering a promising approach to improving patient outcomes and streamlining healthcare delivery.

Authors

  • Farieda Gaber
    Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
  • Maqsood Shaik
    Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
  • Fabio Allega
    Department of Radiation Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy.
  • Agnes Julia Bilecz
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Felix Busch
    Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, TUM School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
  • Kelsey Goon
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Section of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Vedran Franke
    Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
  • Altuna Akalin
    Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany. altuna.akalin@mdc-berlin.de.

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