Before I explain how you can use ChatGPT and Generative AI to create and optimize your medical reports, here is some background information on the new technologies.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an advanced machine learning model designed to generate human-like text based on the prompts given to it. It works in a similar way to a neural network in the human brain, but in a digital environment, i.e. in the form of software. Here are some important features:

1. Data and training: ChatGPT was trained with an enormous amount of text data. Much like a medical student who learns by studying books and clinical cases, ChatGPT has learned from this text data to generate human-like text.
2. Neural networks: The underlying model of ChatGPT is based on so-called “transformers”. These are special types of neural networks that are able to recognize complex patterns and correlations in data. You can think of it as the synapses and neurons in the human brain that process and store information.
3. Interaction: When you ask ChatGPT a question or give it a prompt, it searches through its “memories” (i.e. what it has learned during training) and tries to generate the most relevant and coherent answer. It’s like asking a colleague a question and they answer based on their knowledge and experience.
4. Adaptability: Although ChatGPT has already been trained with a huge amount of data, it can still be adapted and trained for specific tasks. It is comparable to a doctor who specializes in a particular field after having received general medical training.
5. Ethics and limitations: While ChatGPT is capable of answering a variety of questions, it has no emotion, awareness or ethical judgment. It is important to be aware of your limits, especially in sensitive areas such as medicine.

You can read more about ChatGPT in my ChatGPT explanation article.

What is Generative AI?

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) refers to AI models that are able to create new content similar to that with which they have been trained. These models can generate texts, images, music and other forms of data. Here is some background information to give you a better understanding of Generative AI:

1. Basics: Generative AI models, such as those that could be used in medicine for imaging analyses or to predict the course of diseases, work by learning patterns in data. Instead of just classifying or analyzing data, they try to “generate” similar data on their own.
2. Neural networks: Many generative models, including ChatGPT, are based on deep neural networks. These networks are roughly inspired by the structure of the human brain and can recognize complex patterns in large amounts of data.
3. Connection to ChatGPT: ChatGPT is an example of Generative AI. It has been trained to generate text based on the prompts it is given. It does not really “think” or “understand” in the human sense, but uses statistical patterns from its training data to formulate answers.
4. Training and data: Generative models are trained with large amounts of data. In the case of ChatGPT, this was extensive text data. The model has learned to generate human-like responses by recognizing patterns and relationships in these texts, much like a medical student can recognize patterns in symptoms or test results.
5. Applications in medicine: Generative AI can also be useful in medicine, e.g. to improve medical images, create synthetic patient data for research or to recognize complex biological patterns.
6. Ethics and limitations: As with any technology, it is important to consider the ethical considerations and limitations of generative AI, especially in medicine. It is crucial to constantly check the accuracy and reliability of such systems and to incorporate human judgment and experience into the decision-making process.

In the article ChatGPT and AI in the healthcare industry you will find further possible applications of Generative AI in the healthcare world. And in the article ChatGPT and AI in the doctor’s office there are even more use cases, especially for medical practices.

ChatGPT for medical reports – a step-by-step guide

ChatGPT and generative AI can make a doctor’s day-to-day work much more efficient by using AI tools to support the creation of medical reports. The following is a step-by-step guide to generating doctor’s reports with ChatGPT.

1. data preparation

Before ChatGPT can create a medical report for you, you need to create a base of content. This basis can be written in bullet points. It should contain all the important information that will later be included in the medical report. This includes the following possible points, among others:

• Patient data:
• Name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Health insurance number or other identification data
• Medical history
• Main complaints of the patient
• Duration of the complaints
• History of the current illness
• General medical history, including previous illnesses, operations and medications
• Physical examination
• Results of the physical examination, including observations and findings
• Diagnostic results
• Results of laboratory tests, imaging (e.g. X-ray, MRI) and other diagnostic tests
• Diagnoses
• Treatment and recommendations
  • Prescribed medication and its dosage
  • Recommended therapy or surgical interventions
  • Referral to specialists or additional examinations
  • Recommendations for lifestyle changes or rehabilitation
• Forecast
• An assessment of how the patient’s disease or condition is likely to develop
• Concluding remarks: Any additional information or comments that you think should be included in the report

By the way, you can also dictate this basic information by voice and convert it into written key points using a voice-to-text app.

2. data anonymization

If you are considering ChatGPT for your medical reports, it is important to note that this system uses all content entered for training purposes and for internal development. It is of the utmost importance that no confidential or personal data is entered into the ChatGPT input field.

Therefore, the anonymization of basic information is an essential and highly relevant step. It is usually sufficient to eliminate the initial information concerning the patient.

3. prompt creation

This is where one of the most complex challenges comes in, which is not directly the responsibility of a doctor. The so-called “prompt” for ChatGPT must be formulated. This serves as an instruction on the basis of which the system generates the medical report.

An example approach could be: “You act as a general practitioner and are tasked with writing a referral report for a specialist. The report is addressed to a surgeon and should contain medical terminology. The length of the report should not exceed two DIN A4 pages and should contain the following information…”.

During the prompt formulation, it is advisable to imagine that you are giving a new colleague in your practice the task of writing the report. The precision of your instructions correlates directly with the quality of the resulting report.

You can also find comprehensive instructions for creating prompts in this article.

At the end of this article there is also a template in Excel format, which can certainly serve as a good basis for creating your first prompt for a doctor’s report.

4. prompt check

Experience has shown that not all prompts are optimal on the first attempt. It is therefore advisable to test the prompt together with the basic information in ChatGPT and to critically evaluate the result. This process can be repeated until the desired result is achieved. These experiences are also reflected in my surveys about the Prompten.

5. prompt application

Now the fun begins. You can actually use the previously checked prompt. It has proven helpful to save the prompt in an Excel spreadsheet and to store the basic information there. Depending on the objective or function of the medical report, it may make sense to use different prompts.

6. result control

Despite carefully checking the prompt in the previous step, I strongly advise you to check the generated results again before passing them on. It is advisable to critically review each medical report independently or through a third party and supplement it if necessary.

7. insert personal data

At the end, of course, you must not forget to add the patient’s confidential and personal data and other sensitive information to the report.

Templates for medical reports

In collaboration with a medical practice, I have already created an initial prompt for a rather generic medical report. You can buy this prompt in Excel format for CHF 35 and customize it for your needs.

Other useful templates

You may have heard that there are alternatives to ChatGPT. In my article on ChatGPT alternatives I show you other alternatives and you can also buy the comparison here.

And if you need even more useful prompts for your practice, then the “Prompts for Health” prompt list is sure to be of interest to you.

By the way, I also offer coaching and starter courses on ChatGPT.

And of course you can always contact me directly if you have any questions. Just send me a message via WhatsApp or e-mail.

Or come directly to my WhatsApp group – where I regularly post use cases, news, best practices, events and much more about chatbots, ChatGPT and co.