ChatGPT in medical libraries, possibilities and future directions: An integrative review

Background

The emergence of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022 has garnered substantial attention across diverse disciplines. Despite widespread adoption in various sectors, the exploration of its application in libraries, especially within the medical domain, remains limited.

Aims/Objectives

Many areas of interest remain unexplored like ChatGPT in medical libraries and this review aims to synthesise what is currently known about it to identify gaps and stimulate further research.

Methods

Employing Cooper's integrative review method, this study involves a comprehensive analysis of existing literature on ChatGPT and its potential implementations within library contexts.

Results

A systematic literature search across various databases yielded 166 papers, with 30 excluded for irrelevance. After abstract reviews and methodological assessments, 136 articles were selected. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist further narrowed down to 29 papers, forming the basis for the present study. The literature analysis reveals diverse applications of ChatGPT in medical libraries, including aiding users in finding relevant medical information, answering queries, providing recommendations and facilitating access to resources. Potential challenges and ethical considerations associated with ChatGPT in this context are also highlighted.

Conclusion

Positioned as a review, our study elucidates the applications of ChatGPT in medical libraries and discusses relevant considerations. The integration of ChatGPT into medical library services holds promise for enhancing information retrieval and user experience, benefiting library users and the broader medical community.