ChatGPT: Your New Clinical Sidekick

Author

Campion Quinn
April 07, 2025

By Campion Quinn, MD

Medicine today is more complex than ever, and physicians are busier. That’s where ChatGPT-4 comes in—an innovative AI tool that supports differential diagnoses, clinical summaries, and even documentation. While it won’t replace your clinical judgment, its fast and insightful suggestions can streamline your workflow and make complex medical decisions more manageable.

Background

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are rapidly growing in clinical practice. According to recent surveys by Fierce Healthcare  of physicians on the SERMO physician website, 76% of responding physicians reported using LLMs in their work, with specific applications including:¹

  • Checking drug interactions (60%).

  • Supporting diagnoses (over 50%).

  • Generating clinical documentation (nearly 50%).

  • Treatment planning (over 40%).

  • Patient education and literature searches (70%).

These numbers highlight the increasing reliance on AI tools to address the challenges of modern medicine.

Why Bother with AI?

Imagine a patient who presents with fever, joint pain, and vague gastrointestinal symptoms. You input these details into ChatGPT-4, and it suggests a rare condition you hadn’t considered, such as hemochromatosis. This example illustrates the tool’s value as a virtual colleague, offering insights that expand your diagnostic considerations.

In one study comparing ChatGPT-4 to physicians, the AI model correctly diagnosed 57% of challenging cases, outperforming human participants who averaged 36%.² These results showcase its potential as a supplemental resource, particularly for complex or rare conditions.

ChatGPT’s empathetic tone and ability to explain complex medical concepts make it a valuable tool for patient consultations. Research shows patients often prefer its detailed and accessible responses over those from traditional search engines.³

What It Does—and Doesn’t Do

ChatGPT-4 excels in processing and generating text, making it invaluable for:

  • Rapidly generating differential diagnoses.

  • Drafting patient notes and discharge summaries.

  • Highlighting rare diseases that might be overlooked.

  • Educating patients with clear, concise explanations.

However, there are limitations:

  • It cannot analyze medical images, such as X-rays or MRIs, although advancements in multimodal AI may soon address this.

  • Its training data only extends to December 2023 for premium users, potentially leaving gaps in knowledge about newer treatments.⁴

  • Outputs can lack transparency in reasoning and are prone to occasional inaccuracies, known as "AI hallucinations."

Physicians must critically evaluate AI outputs and corroborate them with trusted sources like peer-reviewed literature and clinical guidelines.

Caution: Use AI Wisely

Using AI in clinical settings requires thoughtful implementation. Key considerations include:

  • Data Privacy: Avoid entering protected health information (PHI) into public AI tools to maintain HIPAA compliance.

  • Bias and Inaccuracy: Be vigilant for errors or biases in AI-generated recommendations.

  • Ethical and Legal Concerns: Ensure that AI supplements rather than replaces clinical judgment and stay informed about evolving regulatory guidelines.

To mitigate risks, use ChatGPT with validated resources such as UpToDate, professional guidelines, and peer consultations.

What’s Next?

The future of AI in medicine holds exciting possibilities. Emerging models may integrate image analysis, lab data, and real-time updates, further enhancing diagnostic and treatment planning. ChatGPT is already transforming learning in medical education by serving as a virtual tutor, generating practice cases, and supporting exam preparation.

For clinical research, ChatGPT aids in hypothesis generation, data analysis, and manuscript drafting, though human oversight remains essential to ensure rigor and accuracy.

Conclusion

ChatGPT-4 isn’t here to replace physicians but to assist. It can make diagnostics faster, documentation smoother, and your day a little easier. By thoughtfully embracing this technology and staying vigilant about its limitations, you can harness it to stay ahead in an ever-evolving field. The key lies in balancing innovation with caution, ensuring AI complements—not compromises—your clinical expertise.⁵

 

Footnotes

2. Eriksen et al., Use of GPT-4 to Diagnose Complex Clinical Cases, NEJM AI 2023;1(1). DOI: 10.1056/AIp2300031 https://ai.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/AIp2300031

3. Ayers JW, et al. Comparing AI and Physician Responses. JAMA Intern Med. 2023;183(5):589–96.

4. OpenAI Documentation on GPT-4 Training Data, 2023.

5. Tan S, Xin X, Wu D. ChatGPT in Medicine: Prospects and Challenges. Int J Surg. 2024;110:3701–06.