ChatGPT: can artificial intelligence language models be of value for cardiovascular nurses and allied health professionals
Year: 2023
Type: editorial
Abstract: Poem about the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. In line with the Journal's conflict of interest policy, this paper was handled by Jeroen Hendriks. On 30 November 2022, ChatGPT was launched. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) language model developed by OpenAI. It is a type of AI model that is based on the third generation of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-3) language model, which uses deep learning techniques to produce human-like text. GPT-3, and thus ChatGPT, is trained on a massive dataset of written text and is able to generate natural language responses to a wide variety of prompts. As such, ChatGPT can be used for a variety of natural language processing tasks, such as language translation, text summarization, and question answering. Some of the most common use cases of ChatGPT include chatbots, automated writing and content creation, and language understanding for AI applications. The quality of the generated text is very good and even hard to distinguish from a text written by humans. The system is different from internet search engines, like Google, or voice-controlled personal assistants, like Siri. Unlike search engines, ChatGPT will not directly look for the answer on the questions in texts available on the internet. And unlike voice-controlled personal assistants, ChatGPT does not use pre-programmed answers to questions. Of note, GPT-3 is trained with data available up to 2021. Therefore, it is ignorant for the most recent information. To date, ChatGPT is freely accessible using the following link: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/. This editorial aims to inform readers about this technology, explore the potential use of ChatGPT for cardiovascular clinic and research and highlight potential misuse and errors. It is obvious that ChatGPT will profoundly influence our society. Shortly after its launch, schools, and universities expressed their concerns about the use of ChatGPT by students.1 Indeed, ChatGPT is able to generate essays in a couple of seconds, and thus, students may use AI to write papers or even to fill out online exams.2 Consequently, educators are worried about the intellectual work that students are (no longer) putting in their assignments. Therefore, schools and universities are developing policies regarding the use of ChatGPT by students. While some concerns are raised, the system also offers huge opportunities. For instance, in healthcare, ChatGPT could assist clinicians and researchers. Since ChatGPT is a language model, you can ask the system whatever question. You can even ask it to describe its own value. Therefore, we asked ChatGPT if it can be of value for cardiovascular nurses working in clinical practice. The following answer was given: Yes, ChatGPT can be of value for cardiovascular nurses working in clinical practice. Here are a few ways that ChatGPT could be used: Patient education: ChatGPT can be used to generate patient education materials, such as brochures and handouts, that are tailored to the specific needs of cardiovascular patients. This could help nurses provide more effective and personalized care. Charting and documentation: ChatGPT can be used to automatically generate chart notes and other documentation from structured data, such as vital signs and lab results. This could save time for nurses and reduce the risk of errors in charting. Medication management: ChatGPT can be used to generate medication lists and instructions for patients with cardiovascular conditions. This could help ensure that patients receive the correct medications at the right time and in the right dosage. Research Assistance: ChatGPT can assist cardiovascular nurses in keeping up to date with the latest research and guidelines by summarizing articles, papers, and other sources of information in a concise and easy to understand format. Language Translation: ChatGPT can be used to communicate with patients who speak different languages, this can facilitate communication and ensure that the patient understands and follows the care plan. It’s worth noting that, as with any technology, it’s important for cardiovascular nurses to use ChatGPT in accordance with professional standards and guidelines, and to review any output generated by ChatGPT for accuracy and completeness before using it in patient care. To what extent this is all true and if it would lead to accurate information is still to be tested. As ChatGPT stipulates, it remains crucial that the output is evaluated by professionals for accuracy and completeness. As an example, we asked ChatGPT what is known about the psychological impact of COVID-19 in adults with congenital heart disease, because this topic is relevant for clinicians.3,4 The response is given in Figure 1. The most recent data are not included, because the system is trained up to 2021. This is a limitation that is indicated by ChatGPT itself, when asked for references to empirical work (Figure 1). Example of a clinical question. ChatGPT might also be of use for researchers in cardiovascular care. When we asked ChatGPT how the system could be used by researchers, the following response was given. ChatGPT could be used in several ways in research by cardiovascular nurses, such as: Text summarization: ChatGPT can be used to summarize large amounts of text data, such as research articles, clinical notes, and patient records. This could help cardiovascular nurses quickly identify key findings and insights from a large body of literature. Question answering: ChatGPT can be used to answer specific questions about cardiovascular nursing research. For example, it could be used to answer questions about best practices, guidelines, and protocols for treating cardiovascular conditions. Data collection: ChatGPT can also be used to generate structured data from unstructured text. This could be used in cardiovascular nursing research to collect data from electronic health records, social media, and other sources, without the need for manual data entry. Language Translation: ChatGPT can be used for the translations of articles and studies from other languages to the preferred language of the researcher. Writing Assistance: ChatGPT can assist cardiovascular nurses in writing research papers and articles by generating text that is coherent, grammatically correct, and in line with the research topic. It's important to note that ChatGPT is a highly advanced model and the results that it produces should be reviewed by cardiovascular nurses before being used for research. It clearly suggests that ChatGPT may facilitate the work of researchers, and it will be applied in more circumstances than highlighted above. For instance, ChatGPT could be used by researchers when seeking for guidance in doing certain statistical analyses. It is highly performant when it comes to proposing syntaxes/scripts for undertaking analyses in whatever statistical programme. For example, if you want to make a violin plot in R to visualize your findings,5 you can ask ChatGPT to provide a script (Figure 2). The script provided certainly requires some polishing, but it is a great starting point and it can provide answers that you will not easily find using typical search engines or internet fora. Example of a statistics question. As with all novel and disruptive technologies, it can be misused. As indicated above, educational institutions are worried about students using ChatGPT to generate content for their assignments.6 Also, in the academic world and publishing industry, concerns have raised. It could be that fraudulent authors will generate abstracts and research papers by using language models like ChatGPT. This is certainly adding to the list of questionable research practices.7 In a first evaluation, one-third of the AI-generated abstracts were erroneously rated as human-generated.8 This shows that it will be difficult for editors and reviewers to detect fraud in this respect, and that next to plagiarism detectors also AI output detectors will be needed in editorial offices.8 There are even cases in which ChatGPT was included as co-author.9 Editors clearly disapprove this kind of artificial authors, and it urges the publishing industry to develop policies in this respect. Some limitations of ChatGPT are worth mentioning. Due to the exponential use of the chatbot in the past months, the capacity is regularly exceeded. Before the system can be used for clinical applications, the capacity should be increased. Also, users should remain attentive for false information and non-up-to-date information, as mentioned earlier. Irrespective the possible misuse and limitations, ChatGPT has a huge potential to support clinicians and researchers. However, it needs to be tested how and to what extent its use could improve patient care. Trials could evaluate if evidence-based practice is better implemented if nurses and allied health professionals are supported by an AI language model such as ChatGPT instead of only relying on typical scientific databases, such as PubMed. The typical scientific databases require the knowledge, skills, and time to navigate through the obtained articles to answer the clinical question. More from an entertaining side, we asked ChatGPT to write a poem about the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (Central illustration). While we acknowledge that this poem is far from reaching the level of human poets, ChatGPT recognized that the Journal publishes articles on evidence-based practice and guidelines for disease management, and that it is a source of learning for nurses and allied professionals. It identifies that the Journal is providing insights and new ways to help patients stand tall (Central illustration). In conclusion, ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize the way we practice and conduct research in cardiovascular nursing and allied health. Its ability to generate natural language text, summarize large amounts of data, and answer specific questions makes it a valuable tool for healthcare professionals. As the field of cardiovascular nursing and allied health continues to evolve, it will be important for healthcare professionals to stay up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques, including AI.10 ChatGPT is definitely a technology to watch. Fifty four per cent of this editorial is generated by ChatGPT. This work is supported by Research Foundation Flanders (grant number 1159522N to L.V.B.) and European Society of Cardiology (Nursing and Allied Professional Training Grant to L.V.B.). No empirical data are used in this editorial.
Authors: Philip Moons, Liesbet Van Bulck
Language: English
Subfield: Health Informatics
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4319460381