Clinical risk prediction using language models: benefits and considerations.
J Am Med Inform Assoc
; 31(9): 1856-1864, 2024 Sep 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38412328
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) for clinical risk prediction is on the rise. However, in many practical settings, the limited availability of task-specific EHR data can restrict the application of standard machine learning pipelines. In this study, we investigate the potential of leveraging language models (LMs) as a means to incorporate supplementary domain knowledge for improving the performance of various EHR-based risk prediction tasks.METHODS:
We propose two novel LM-based methods, namely "LLaMA2-EHR" and "Sent-e-Med." Our focus is on utilizing the textual descriptions within structured EHRs to make risk predictions about future diagnoses. We conduct a comprehensive comparison with previous approaches across various data types and sizes.RESULTS:
Experiments across 6 different methods and 3 separate risk prediction tasks reveal that employing LMs to represent structured EHRs, such as diagnostic histories, results in significant performance improvements when evaluated using standard metrics such as area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision-recall (PR) curve. Additionally, they offer benefits such as few-shot learning, the ability to handle previously unseen medical concepts, and adaptability to various medical vocabularies. However, it is noteworthy that outcomes may exhibit sensitivity to a specific prompt.CONCLUSION:
LMs encompass extensive embedded knowledge, making them valuable for the analysis of EHRs in the context of risk prediction. Nevertheless, it is important to exercise caution in their application, as ongoing safety concerns related to LMs persist and require continuous consideration.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Registros Electrónicos de Salud
/
Aprendizaje Automático
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Am Med Inform Assoc
Asunto de la revista:
INFORMATICA MEDICA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos