Getting Started with Generative AI in Healthcare: A Guide to ChatGPT

Jawahar Jagarapu

12/28/20242 min read

As healthcare professionals, embracing new technologies can enhance our practice and improve patient care. While there are many language models, I will highlight ChatGPT as it pioneered the generative AI revolution. Here's a practical guide to getting started with ChatGPT:

Understanding the Basics

ChatGPT is an AI language model that can understand and generate human-like text.
Imagine it as an encyclopedia of most of the knowledge and data present on the internet
It can generate text, pictures, and recently even video (sora.com) based on the natural language input
It can help in personal and professional lives to increase efficiency and productivity
It can assist with medical research summaries, and patient education materials
It's important to remember that it should be used as a tool to augment, not replace, clinical judgment

Practical Applications

It can help with efficiency and enhancing productivity both in personal and professional lives
On a personal front, it can help with Travel planning, coaching on various topics
Creating patient education materials in simple, understandable language
Explaining patients and parents complex disease topics in simple terms
Summarizing recent medical literature
Generating differential diagnosis lists for complex cases

Best Practices

Always verify AI-generated information against trusted medical sources
Maintain patient confidentiality by never sharing protected health information
Use specific, clear prompts (what is a prompt ?) for better results
Document when AI tools are used in clinical decision-making

Getting Started

Sign up at chat.openai.com
Start with simple queries and gradually increase the complexity
Keep prompts specific, and medical-context focused
Save useful prompts for future use

Free and Paid Versions

If you are just getting started, I recommend starting with the Free version, which has many capabilities. Then, based on usage, you can upgrade to the paid version, ChatGPT Plus. Here's a comparison of ChatGPT's free and paid versions:

Free Version (ChatGPT 3.5): Basic access with limited features, occasional unavailability during peak times, and slower response speeds. Cost: Free
ChatGPT Plus: Priority access, faster responses, access to GPT-4 capabilities, and early access to new features. Cost: $20/month
Response Speed: Plus users get priority during high-traffic periods and generally faster response times compared to free users
Model Access: Free users only have access to GPT-3.5, while Plus users can access both GPT-3.5 and the more capable GPT-4 model and various other models
Usage Limits: The free version has usage caps and potential wait times during peak hours, while Plus offers more consistent availability and higher usage limits