The promise of natural language processing in healthcare

Abstract

The healthcare industry generates data at a rapid rate, with no signs of slowing down. A large portion of this information takes the form of unstructured narrative text, making it difficult for computer systems to analyze the data in a usable format. However, automated analysis of this information could be incredibly useful in daily practice. This could be accomplished with natural language processing, an area of artificial intelligence and computational linguistics that is used to analyze and process large sets of unstructured data, namely spoken or written communication. Natural language processing has already been implemented in many sectors, and the industry is projected to be worth US$16 billion by 2021. Natural language processing could take unstructured patient data and interpret meaning from the text, allowing that information to inform healthcare delivery. Natural language processing can also enable intelligent chatbots, interacting and providing medical support to patients. It has the potential to aid physicians by efficiently summarizing patient charts and predicting patient outcomes. In hospitals, it has the ability to analyze patient satisfaction and facilitate quality improvement. Despite current technical limitations, natural language processing is a rapidly developing technology that promises to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery.