Evaluating ChatGPT-4omni in paediatric developmental screening: direct versus sequential prompts

Pathrada Traipidok1, Papichaya Srisombundit1, Nattaporn Tassanakijpanich1

  • 1Prince of Songkla University Faculty of Medicine, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.

BMJ Paediatrics Open
|March 3, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Large Language Models like ChatGPT-4o show promise for paediatric developmental screening. Direct Prompting was more sensitive, while Sequential Prompting was more specific in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Healthcare Technology
  • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Developmental screening is crucial for early intervention in children.
  • Current screening methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
  • Large Language Models (LLMs) offer potential for innovative healthcare solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of ChatGPT-4o for paediatric developmental screening.
  • To compare Direct and Sequential Prompting methods using ChatGPT-4o.
  • To benchmark ChatGPT-4o's performance against the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition.

Main Methods:

  • 106 paediatric cases were analyzed.
  • ChatGPT-4o was employed using Direct and Sequential Prompting techniques.
  • Performance metrics included sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy.

Main Results:

  • Direct Prompting achieved 73.42% sensitivity and 69.81% overall accuracy.
  • Sequential Prompting demonstrated 62.96% specificity and 67.92% overall accuracy.
  • Both LLM prompting methods showed potential in developmental screening.

Conclusions:

  • ChatGPT-4o, via Direct and Sequential Prompting, can enhance paediatric developmental screening efficiency and accessibility.
  • Direct Prompting exhibited higher sensitivity, whereas Sequential Prompting offered greater specificity.
  • Further research is warranted to optimize LLM integration in clinical practice.

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