Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)

This study evaluates the performance of Large Language Model (LLM)-based classifiers, including BERT, Bio-BERT, and Distil-BERT, in comparison to traditional Machine Learning algorithms to classify the medical transcription reports into various specialties. While LLMs are increasingly utilized in h...

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Main Authors: Surya Kathirvel, Lenin Mookiah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: LibraryPress@UF 2025-05-01
Series:Proceedings of the International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference
Online Access:https://journals.flvc.org/FLAIRS/article/view/138953
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author Surya Kathirvel
Lenin Mookiah
author_facet Surya Kathirvel
Lenin Mookiah
author_sort Surya Kathirvel
collection DOAJ
description This study evaluates the performance of Large Language Model (LLM)-based classifiers, including BERT, Bio-BERT, and Distil-BERT, in comparison to traditional Machine Learning algorithms to classify the medical transcription reports into various specialties. While LLMs are increasingly utilized in healthcare applications, Naive Bayes demonstrated the highest performance, achieving an accuracy of 86.16% and an F1-score of 84.52%, outperforming all other models. Machine Learning approaches, such as Random Forest and Multi-Layer Perceptron, also exhibited strong performance, whereas BERT-based models achieved lower accuracy, around 63%. However, LLM-based models performed better in certain specialties, such as Surgery, while Machine Learning models demonstrated superior performance in areas such as Allergy/Immunology, Cardiovascular/Pulmonary, and General Medicine. Our results show that LLM-based models might offer ad- vantages in classifying certain medical specialties (e.g., Surgery) due to the benefits of pre-trained LLM models on domain-specific knowledge bases and/or their better semantic understanding with fewer data points.
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spelling doaj-art-1bd81245d460407fb448005caa8eabec2025-08-20T01:51:49ZengLibraryPress@UFProceedings of the International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference2334-07542334-07622025-05-0138110.32473/flairs.38.1.138953Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)Surya Kathirvel0Lenin MookiahData Scientist This study evaluates the performance of Large Language Model (LLM)-based classifiers, including BERT, Bio-BERT, and Distil-BERT, in comparison to traditional Machine Learning algorithms to classify the medical transcription reports into various specialties. While LLMs are increasingly utilized in healthcare applications, Naive Bayes demonstrated the highest performance, achieving an accuracy of 86.16% and an F1-score of 84.52%, outperforming all other models. Machine Learning approaches, such as Random Forest and Multi-Layer Perceptron, also exhibited strong performance, whereas BERT-based models achieved lower accuracy, around 63%. However, LLM-based models performed better in certain specialties, such as Surgery, while Machine Learning models demonstrated superior performance in areas such as Allergy/Immunology, Cardiovascular/Pulmonary, and General Medicine. Our results show that LLM-based models might offer ad- vantages in classifying certain medical specialties (e.g., Surgery) due to the benefits of pre-trained LLM models on domain-specific knowledge bases and/or their better semantic understanding with fewer data points. https://journals.flvc.org/FLAIRS/article/view/138953
spellingShingle Surya Kathirvel
Lenin Mookiah
Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)
Proceedings of the International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference
title Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)
title_full Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)
title_fullStr Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)
title_full_unstemmed Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)
title_short Medical Specialty Classification Using Large Language Models (LLMs)
title_sort medical specialty classification using large language models llms
url https://journals.flvc.org/FLAIRS/article/view/138953
work_keys_str_mv AT suryakathirvel medicalspecialtyclassificationusinglargelanguagemodelsllms
AT leninmookiah medicalspecialtyclassificationusinglargelanguagemodelsllms