Original Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14670

By: Jiaqi Wang, Enze Shi, Sigang Yu, Zihao Wu, Chong Ma, Haixing Dai, Qiushi Yang, Yanqing Kang, Jinru Wu, Huawen Hu, Chenxi Yue, Haiyang Zhang, Yiheng Liu, Yi Pan, Zhengliang Liu, Lichao Sun, Xiang Li, Bao Ge, Xi Jiang, Dajiang Zhu, Yixuan Yuan, Dinggang Shen, Tianming Liu, Shu Zhang

Abstract:

Prompt engineering is a critical technique in the field of natural language processing that involves designing and optimizing the prompts used to input information into models, aiming to enhance their performance on specific tasks. With the recent advancements in large language models, prompt engineering has shown significant superiority across various domains and has become increasingly important in the healthcare domain. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews specifically focusing on prompt engineering in the medical field. This review will introduce the latest advances in prompt engineering in the field of natural language processing for the medical field. First, we will provide the development of prompt engineering and emphasize its significant contributions to healthcare natural language processing applications such as question-answering systems, text summarization, and machine translation. With the continuous improvement of general large language models, the importance of prompt engineering in the healthcare domain is becoming increasingly prominent. The aim of this article is to provide useful resources and bridges for healthcare natural language processing researchers to better explore the application of prompt engineering in this field. We hope that this review can provide new ideas and inspire for research and application in medical natural language processing.

Summary Notes

Simplifying Prompt Engineering in Healthcare for AI Engineers

Introduction: Blending AI with Healthcare

The merging of artificial intelligence (AI) with healthcare is transforming medical research, diagnostics, and patient care.

Prompt engineering is at the heart of this transformation. This technique involves designing inputs that guide large language models (LLMs) like BERT and GPT to produce specific outcomes.

Effective prompt engineering can unleash the full potential of AI in healthcare.

The Growth of Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering has evolved significantly:

• From basic inputs to complex, task-oriented prompts.
• Integration of domain-specific knowledge into prompts.
• Fine-tuning prompt parameters to boost LLM performance.

These improvements have made LLMs more efficient and versatile in healthcare.

Healthcare Applications Unlocked

Prompt engineering's impact on healthcare is vast:

• Medical Literature and Records: Makes parsing medical texts more efficient, aiding in disease management.
• Question-Answering Systems: Offers precise, relevant answers to medical questions, benefiting healthcare providers and patients.
• Summarization and Translation: Enhances the summarization of medical documents and facilitates the translation of medical literature, promoting worldwide collaboration.

Tips for AI Engineers

If you're an AI engineer venturing into healthcare, consider these tips:

• Domain Knowledge: Deeply understand medical language and context by collaborating with healthcare experts.
• Iterative Testing: Continuously refine prompts based on actual performance.
• Ethical Practices: Prioritize patient privacy and ethical data use. Ensure compliance by coordinating with legal and ethical bodies.
• Stay Updated: Keep up with new research and technology to improve your work.

Navigating Challenges

Prompt engineering in healthcare faces several challenges:

• Medical Language Complexity: Crafting prompts that accurately interpret medical jargon is challenging.
• Ethical and Privacy Issues: The ethical management of sensitive data is paramount.
• Rapid Technological Changes: Staying current with fast-evolving tech requires ongoing education and flexibility.

Conclusion: Navigating the Future

Prompt engineering is setting the stage for AI to revolutionize healthcare by improving how LLMs understand and process language.

For AI engineers, this area offers a unique opportunity to impact the future of healthcare technologies positively.

By adopting best practices, keeping informed, and prioritizing ethics, engineers can help develop AI tools that not only innovate but also provide compassionate care.

The journey forward is complex, but with a strategic approach, prompt engineering can unlock AI's full potential in healthcare, leading to better patient and practitioner outcomes.

The fusion of AI and healthcare holds a promising future, and prompt engineering is key to realizing this potential.