Large language models and their impact in ophthalmology

Bjorn Kaijun Betzler; Haichao Chen; Ching-Yu Cheng; Cecilia S Lee; Guochen Ning; Su Jeong Song; Aaron Y Lee; Ryo Kawasaki; Peter van Wijngaarden; Andrzej Grzybowski; Mingguang He; Dawei Li; An Ran Ran; Daniel Shu Wei Ting; Kelvin Teo; Paisan Ruamviboonsuk; Sobha Sivaprasad; Varun Chaudhary; Ramin Tadayoni; Xiaofei Wang; Carol Y Cheung; Yingfeng Zheng; Ya Xing Wang; Yih Chung Tham; Tien Yin Wong

doi:10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00201-7

Large language models and their impact in ophthalmology

Lancet Digit Health. 2023 Dec;5(12):e917-e924. doi: 10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00201-7.

Authors

Bjorn Kaijun Betzler¹, Haichao Chen², Ching-Yu Cheng³, Cecilia S Lee⁴, Guochen Ning⁵, Su Jeong Song⁶, Aaron Y Lee⁴, Ryo Kawasaki⁷, Peter van Wijngaarden⁸, Andrzej Grzybowski⁹, Mingguang He¹⁰, Dawei Li¹¹, An Ran Ran¹², Daniel Shu Wei Ting¹³, Kelvin Teo¹³, Paisan Ruamviboonsuk¹⁴, Sobha Sivaprasad¹⁵, Varun Chaudhary¹⁶, Ramin Tadayoni¹⁷, Xiaofei Wang¹⁸, Carol Y Cheung¹², Yingfeng Zheng¹⁹, Ya Xing Wang²⁰, Yih Chung Tham²¹, Tien Yin Wong²²

Affiliations

¹ Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
² Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
³ Centre for Innovation and Precision Eye Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore; Ophthalmology and Visual Science Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.
⁴ University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
⁶ Department of Ophthalmology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
⁷ Division of Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Artificial Intelligence Center for Medical Research and Application, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
⁸ Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Melbourne, VA, Australia; Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne Department of Surgery, East Melbourne, Melbourne, VA, Australia.
⁹ Institute for Research in Ophthalmology, Foundation for Ophthalmology Development, Poznan, Poland.
¹⁰ Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
¹¹ College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
¹² Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
¹³ Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore; Ophthalmology and Visual Science Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.
¹⁴ Department of Ophthalmology, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
¹⁵ NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
¹⁶ Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
¹⁷ Université Paris Cité, AP-HP, Lariboisière, Saint Louis, and Rothschild Foundation Hospitals, Paris, France.
¹⁸ Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
¹⁹ State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.
²⁰ Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology and Visual Science Key Lab, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
²¹ Centre for Innovation and Precision Eye Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore; Ophthalmology and Visual Science Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. Electronic address: [email protected].
²² Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.

Abstract

The advent of generative artificial intelligence and large language models has ushered in transformative applications within medicine. Specifically in ophthalmology, large language models offer unique opportunities to revolutionise digital eye care, address clinical workflow inefficiencies, and enhance patient experiences across diverse global eye care landscapes. Yet alongside these prospects lie tangible and ethical challenges, encompassing data privacy, security, and the intricacies of embedding large language models into clinical routines. This Viewpoint highlights the promising applications of large language models in ophthalmology, while weighing up the practical and ethical barriers towards their real-world implementation. This Viewpoint seeks to stimulate broader discourse on the potential of large language models in ophthalmology and to galvanise both clinicians and researchers into tackling the prevailing challenges and optimising the benefits of large language models while curtailing the associated risks.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Artificial Intelligence
Humans
Language
Medicine*
Ophthalmology*
Privacy

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding