Can ChatGPT rescue or assist with language barriers in healthcare communication?

Abstract

This letter supplements some ideas put forward by Kim et al., who debated the importance of patient-centered communication as a central notion of patient-centered cancer care in pre- versus post-pandemic times, although the issue of language barriers by select patients at healthcare centers was not debated. This letter proposes large language models, such as ChatGPT, as one way to overcome the language barrier with non-native English-speaking patients, as well as to simplify the technical language and jargon to make communication of the medical conditions or treatment options easier for those patients to understand. The latter may even be helpful for native English-speaking patients.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Healthcare professional; Large language models; Responsible use.