As a medical writer, I know how demanding our work can be – especially the constant need for accuracy under tight deadlines. That’s why I’ve been exploring tools like ChatGPT to make the process smoother.
In this blog, I’ll explore how ChatGPT can help with medical writing, where it falls short, and why human writers are still so important.
How Using ChatGPT for Medical Writing is Changing our work
The Anatolian Current Medical Journal highlights how ChatGPT’s newest version (GPT-4) supports everything from planning to revisions [1]. While it’s not perfect—it needs guidance and always needs to be edited manually—it’s been a game-changer for cutting down time and boosting productivity.
Here are ways it can help medical writers (and where it falls short):
| What ChatGPT is Useful For | What ChatGPT is Not So Great At |
| Generating initial drafts quickly | Ensuring accuracy in health information |
| Summarising lengthy texts or research studies | Critical thinking and ethical decision-making |
| Rephrasing or simplifying complex language | Fact-checking and verifying data |
| Adapting tone for specific audiences (e.g., patients) | Dealing with complex or nuanced medical discussions |
| Creating structured outputs like tables or outlines | Avoiding health misinformation (it can produce plausible but incorrect content) |
| Supporting brainstorming and idea generation | Maintaining originality and creativity |
| Providing a starting point for writing tasks | Replacing human expertise in medical writing |
| Other non-medical writing tasks such as drafting emails and meeting minutes | Providing in-depth and nuanced therapeutical knowledge |
Faster Research and Planning
Research is often the most time-consuming part of our job. ChatGPT can quickly summarise studies, suggest research questions and help structure ideas. It saves valuable time, letting us focus on creative or analytical tasks rather than spending hours searching for background materials.
Easier Writing and Editing
The blank page used to be overwhelming, but not anymore. ChatGPT helps kickstart the process by generating drafts, rephrasing tricky sentences, and organising content. It improves clarity and coherence while saving time—perfect for those endless rounds of edits.
I still rely on my expertise to refine what ChatGPT produces, but it’s like having a colleague draft the first version so I can focus on polishing the final piece.
Helping with Different Languages
Working with people from around the world is common for medical writers, but language barriers can make it more difficult. ChatGPT’s multilingual tools are a huge help, translating and summarising content so we can collaborate more easily. Meşe et al. explain how ChatGPT connects healthcare professionals by breaking down language barriers, making our work more effective globally [1].
Helping with non-medical writing tasks
A big part of a medical writer’s job is organising meetings and communicating with clients. Another way ChatGPT can help us is by drafting emails and meeting notes [2]. It’s a handy way to save time on these tasks.
If you want to learn more about creating effective AI prompts and using ChatGPT in medical writing, have a look at my blog, “AI Prompts for Writers.” It includes examples of prompts for summarising research or simplifying tricky ideas.
Ethical and Practical Limits of ChatGPT
When I first tried ChatGPT, I was impressed by how quickly it could create content. But as medical writers, we know accuracy is critical, and that’s where ChatGPT’s weaknesses start to show.
The “Hallucination” Problem
One major issue is ChatGPT sometimes creates content that sounds real but isn’t true, called a “hallucination”. Ahaley et al. gave an example where ChatGPT made up false research and references [2]. I have also experienced this myself, and since then I have avoided using it to search for clinical references. I always check what it gives me against trusted sources like PubMed. It takes extra time, but it’s worth it to ensure the information is right.
Ethical Concerns
Doyal et al. discuss ethical issues such as bias, copying others’ work and relying on AI unfairly to save time [3]. Another crucial concern is maintaining privacy. ChatGPT may temporarily store what you type to improve its responses, so entering sensitive client or patient details could breach privacy laws like GDPR or HIPAA.
To remain professional, I avoid inputting real client or patient information. Instead, I use anonymous examples and stick to general ideas.
It’s also important to be honest about using AI and to take responsibility for the final work.
Why Human Medical Writers Are Still Needed
ChatGPT can’t replace human medical writers because it lacks:
- Critical thinking to address complex or nuanced topics.
- In-depth knowledge of reliable and accurate medical content.
- Ethical sensitivity.
- Creativity and originality for engaging and dynamic medical writing [4].
- Trustworthiness for literature searches or producing verified references, often generating fabricated citations (“hallucinations”).
In my own work, I’ve found the best way to use ChatGPT is as an assistant, not a replacement. It’s great for quick tasks, such as drafts or edits, but I always review and improve the work myself.
There are real risks if we depend on it too much, like creating health misinformation that sounds right but isn’t true (from “hallucinations”).
Future Directions for ChatGPT in Medical Writing
ChatGPT has made medical writing easier, but there’s room to improve. One big step could be real-time updates. Right now, ChatGPT doesn’t know the latest research, but future versions might stay updated with new information.
Better rules for using ChatGPT are also needed. Meşe et al. suggest being honest about when AI is used and having tools to check for mistakes or misinformation [1]. Stronger privacy settings could stop sensitive information from being shared by accident.
As ChatGPT gets better, it can handle more complex topics and work even more smoothly with writers. But no matter how advanced it gets, medical writers will always be needed to make sure work is accurate, ethical and high quality.
Take Your Medical Writing to the Next Level
If you enjoyed this article, don’t miss my ChatGPT email course, designed just for medical writers! Packed with prompts and tips, it will help you write clear, credible and impactful content. With over 10 years in health communications, I’m here to help you create writing that informs and inspires.
- Sign up for my ChatGPT course for practical prompts and strategies to improve your writing.
- Join my newsletter for updates and tips on using AI in medical writing.
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References
- Meşe, İ., Kuzan, B. N., & Kuzan, T. (2024). ChatGPT in medical writing: Enhancing healthcare communication through artificial intelligence and human expertise. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, 6(1), 97–104. https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1367414
- Ahaley, S. S., Pandey, A., Juneja, S. K., Gupta, T. S., & Vijayakumar, S. (2024). ChatGPT in medical writing: A game-changer or a gimmick? Perspectives in Clinical Research, 15(4), 165–171.
- Doyal, A. S., Sender, D., Nanda, M., & Serrano, R. A. (2023). ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in medical writing: Concerns and ethical considerations. Cureus, 15(8), e43292. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43292
- Biswas S. (2023). ChatGPT and the Future of Medical Writing. Radiology, 307(2), e223312. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.223312
