Deep learning has revolutionized natural language processing by developing large language models that can forecast content based on input. These models, known as “large language models” (LLMs), have improved the performance of natural language tasks such as information extraction, question-answering, and summarization, particularly in the medical field.
LLM-powered approaches use prompts, which are natural language instructions that guide the model’s predictions. These instruction sets include the task specifications, rules, and sometimes sample input-output pairs. The advantage of prompts is that they eliminate the need for task-specific training and allow even non-experts to utilize this technology.
Recent research has shown that breaking down tasks into smaller segments can enhance task performance, especially in healthcare. An alternative strategy involves an iterative process for refining the generation, rather than conditional chaining. This approach also includes a guiding agent to provide suggestions and focus throughout the process.
With the development of GPT-4, conversational capabilities have become more advanced. Curai Health researchers propose a framework called Dialog-Enabled Resolving Agents (DERA) to explore how dialogue resolution agents can enhance performance on natural language tasks. Assigning specific roles to dialogue agents helps them focus on specific aspects of the work and maintain alignment with the overall objective.
DERA was assessed using three categories of clinical tasks, each requiring different textual inputs and levels of expertise. These tasks include medical conversation summarization, care plan creation, and answering medical questions. In evaluations, DERA outperformed base GPT-4 in care plan creation and medical conversation summarization, but showed little improvement in question-answering tasks.
The researchers plan to publish a new open-ended medical question-answering project, which will enable further study and evaluation of question-answering systems. They also explore chaining strategies, such as chains of reasoning, which encourage the model to approach problems like an expert. However, these prompting systems are limited by a predetermined set of prompts, making their application in real-world circumstances challenging.
Overall, the development of large language models and the use of prompts have greatly improved natural language processing tasks. Further research and advancements in dialogue resolution agents like DERA will continue to enhance the performance and capabilities of these models in various domains, including healthcare.
Aneesh Tickoo, a consulting intern at MarktechPost, is currently pursuing a degree in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. He is passionate about image processing and enjoys collaborating on interesting projects. (edited)