Co-designing animated videos to explain large language models and their use in healthcare and research

The increasing development of large language models (LLM) in healthcare research is taking place without patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). Part of the challenge is the lack of accessible educational resources to promote literacy around LLMs.

We employed a co-design approach with 6 PPIE contributors from Tower Hamlets, London to develop educational animations about LLMs. We conducted 7 pilot sessions that included hands-on interactive activities to develop scripts and storyboards for the animations. Animations were external validated by additional PPIE groups and experts before professional animation production.

Two accessible 2-minute animated videos were successfully co-designed in English and Bengali. The first explains LLMs in the context of daily life and the second on LLMs in healthcare research. Both animations use a factory analogy to describe LLMs functionality while avoiding anthropomorphisation that could mislead audiences about LLMs inner workings and capabilities. Both animations are freely available for reuse.

The co-design process allowed us to prioritise diverse PPIE voices throughout development, ensuring that animations are appropriate for a wide audience. Challenges included incorporating sometimes conflicting perspectives and achieving balanced portrayals of LLM benefits and risks. We hope these animations will support PPIE contributors to have a say in how LLMs are used in healthcare and research.