ChatGPT knows how it could shape the future of healthcare

In January of 2023, there was a lot of noise in the media about the advancement of AI. We were thinking about its transformative potential for healthcare and decided to get the views of the chatbot at the centre of all this. Graphite CEO, Rob Verheul, puts his questions to ChatGPT.

We loaded up ChatGPT and engaged in a conversation about the technology and possibilities for the future of communication with HCPs and patients.

From text assistance to data analysis and drug discovery, there appear to be many applications for AI as a partner in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. ChatGPT has answered and the responses speak for themselves in terms of the transformative effect this could have on not only healthcare but the way the industry is organised.

What is Chat GPT and why should I care?

ChatGPT: ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI, designed to generate human-like text based on the input it receives. It has been trained on a massive amount of diverse text data from the internet and has the ability to respond to a wide range of topics and questions.

You should care about ChatGPT because it can be useful for a variety of applications, such as conversational AI systems for customer service, language translation, and text generation for creative writing or content creation. It also showcases the advancements in AI technology and its potential to shape the future.

Why is this technology potentially disruptive in the life sciences industry?

ChatGPT: Language models like ChatGPT have the potential to be disruptive in the life sciences industry for several reasons: 

1.  Text generation for scientific papers and reports: These models can assist scientists and researchers in generating high-quality reports and papers by suggesting language, outlining the structure, and identifying relevant information.
2. Data analysis and interpretation: ChatGPT can be trained on large amounts of scientific data, allowing it to automatically analyze and interpret the results of experiments, identify patterns, and make predictions.
3. Drug discovery: ChatGPT can be used to assist in drug discovery by predicting the properties of new compounds, suggesting new hypotheses, and identifying potential targets for treatment.
4. Clinical decision support: In healthcare, ChatGPT can be used to assist doctors and clinicians in making decisions by analyzing patient data, suggesting diagnoses, and providing information on treatments.

What does it mean for the future of physician-patient relationships?

ChatGPT: The use of language models like ChatGPT in healthcare has the potential to impact the doctor-patient relationship in several ways.

1.  Improved access to information: ChatGPT can provide patients with quick and accessible information on their health conditions and treatment options, potentially improving their understanding and empowering them to make informed decisions.
2. Augmented clinical decision-making: ChatGPT can assist doctors and clinicians in analyzing patient data and suggesting diagnoses, allowing them to make more informed and effective treatment decisions.
3. Increased efficiency: By automating some of the more routine tasks in healthcare, such as data analysis and information retrieval, ChatGPT can help healthcare providers to be more efficient and provide better care to a larger number of patients.

However, it is important to consider the potential limitations and drawbacks of relying on AI-powered systems in healthcare. For example, language models may not fully understand the context and nuances of individual patient cases, leading to incorrect or incomplete information being provided. Additionally, the use of AI in healthcare raises ethical questions about accountability, transparency, and the potential for bias.

In conclusion, while the use of language models like ChatGPT has the potential to improve the doctor-patient relationship, it is important to approach their implementation with caution and carefully consider the ethical implications.

Big disruption potential, but questions to answer first

As we can see above, the technology produces valuable content, which is not only contextually aware but demonstrates an astounding grasp of natural language.

Even though the underlying technologies have been available for a number of years ChatGPT has taken the spotlight, having made them accessible to all. ChatGPT capabilities indicate a leap forward in human-computer relationships and has the potential to disrupt the field of medicine and life sciences immensely. From the development of drugs to communications with HCPs and patient support, in evolutionary terms, the ‘chatbot’ has seemingly gone from ape to toddler within a matter of months. But as ChatGPT itself highlights, we do need to pause and consider the ethical implications. The trust that the user has for AI output, and who ultimately has liability, will be of particular importance when it comes to those using its information.

Whilst there is plenty of noise about ChatGPT, it might be some time yet before society trusts AI to direct its healthcare pathways, but no doubt we’ll see these technologies introduced sooner rather than later – disrupting the norms in drug development, patient and HCP relationships.

Looking to explore AI and digital CX?

We are digital innovation specialists in the healthcare and pharma industry. We are actively looking for client partners exploring new ways of engaging with HCPs and patients. If you are exploring AI and what it can do practically in your digital customer experience, we’d love to hear from you.