AI as a resource for the clarification of medical terminology

What is it about?

Medical terms, such as “acute myocardial infarction”, make it hard to understand health information. For this reason, plain language aims to make medical knowledge more unsderstandable and accessible. This article explores how medical terminology, plain language, and artificial intelligence can work together to improve communication in healthcare. In particular, we examine whether generative AI tools—such as ChatGPT—can help create glossaries that offer simpler versions of complex medical terms. These glossaries are based on plain language principles. To investigate this, we selected cardiology as a case study and we followed these main steps: 1. First, we created a glossary of key cardiology terms using a traditional. This means it was based on the expertise of language and medical professionals. 2. Next, we used ChatGPT to repeat the same steps: identifying technical terms, suggesting simpler alternatives, and selecting the clearest options. 3. After that, we compared the two approaches to evaluate the similarities, differences, and potential of AI-assisted terminology work. In conclusion, the results suggest that generative AI can support the creation of glossaries that promote clear and accessible health communication. However, the role of medical and language professionals remains essential. Their expertise ensures that the simplified terms are not only easier to understand, but also accurate, appropriate, and safe for use in real clinical contexts.

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Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash