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Will ChatGPT be Able to Replace a Spine Surgeon in the Clinical Setting?
Ralph Chalhoub1, Antoine Mouawad1, Marven Aoun1
1Saint Joseph University, Faculty of medicine, Beirut, Lebanon.
World Neurosurgery
|February 28, 2024
Summary
ChatGPT shows potential in diagnosing spinal conditions but struggles with management recommendations. Its 70% diagnostic accuracy is promising, yet a 53% mismanagement rate highlights limitations for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
- Spine Surgery
- Clinical Decision Support Systems
Background:
- Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are increasingly explored for medical applications.
- Evaluating AI's diagnostic and management capabilities in specialized fields like spine pathology is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy and management recommendation quality of ChatGPT for spinal pathologies.
- To compare ChatGPT's performance against experienced spine surgeons.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 97 patients with spinal pathologies was evaluated.
- Patient data (demographics, symptoms, imaging reports) were fed into ChatGPT.
- ChatGPT's diagnoses and management plans were compared to a consensus reached by spine surgeons.
Main Results:
- ChatGPT achieved a 70% diagnostic accuracy but misdiagnosed 100% of vertebral trauma and facet joint syndrome.
- Management recommendations were deemed poor in 53% of cases, with incomplete or inappropriate advice.
- Significant diagnostic errors occurred in spondylolisthesis, stenosis, scoliosis, and disc pathologies.
Conclusions:
- ChatGPT demonstrates limitations in providing reliable spinal pathology management recommendations.
- A 30% misdiagnosis rate and 53% mismanagement rate indicate caution is needed.
- ChatGPT should be used as a supplementary tool, not a replacement for surgeon expertise, due to data limitations and lack of interactive patient assessment.
