Investigating Expectations and Needs of Medical Professionals Regarding the Use of Large Language Models: A Study at German University Clinics

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been driven by Large Language Models (LLMs), powerful tools capable of generating coherent text and solving diverse analytical tasks. While LLMs hold great potential to enhance healthcare by assisting physicians and improving patient treatment, their clinical adoption is limited, and there is a lack of statistically grounded information on the opinions of medical professionals regarding LLM usage. To address this gap, we conducted an online survey from April to October 2024, investigating the attitudes and perceptions of medical personnel on the use of LLMs. We gathered insights from 120 participants across five German university clinics, including physicians, medical students, and administrative staff.Findings show that many participants already use LLMs for research support, summarization, translation, and report drafting. Most believe LLMs will positively influence their field, acknowledge their potential to automate mundane tasks, and believe they will help to achieve a more personalized, evidence-based, and cost-effective patient treatment. However, concerns were shown regarding their opaque nature, data privacy, and the potential loss of patient trust. Participants overwhelmingly feel their institutions are not well-prepared for LLM adoption, with suggestions for improvement including increased education and specialized training, investments in digitalization and infrastructure, ensuring legal compliance, and encouraging technological openness. We hope these insights will inform the design of future medical AI solutions.