How large language models can be used for teamwork and communication in healthcare settings: A scoping review.
TL;DR
LLMs hold substantial potential to enhance healthcare teamwork by supporting clinical decisions, streamlining administrative workflows, and improving patient communication, however, ethical, legal, and accountability concerns remain.
Abstract
Background
Generative artificial intelligence, particularly large language models (LLMs), has rapidly advanced and shows promise in healthcare for supporting teams through their ability to understand and generate medical text. While human-AI collaboration has been explored, the integration of LLMs into healthcare teams remains under-researched.
Objective
This scoping review aims to examine how LLMs are currently used to support teamwork and communication in healthcare teams, including both solely professional teams and those involving patients.
Methods
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we registered our review with the Open Science Framework (July 30, 2025). We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect for articles from 2014 to 2024. After screening 3,865 unique titles and abstracts, 127 full texts were reviewed.
Results
Twenty studies were included, predominantly employing quantitative and simulation-based designs, with limited in situ evaluations. LLM use cases were categorized into decision support, communication, and administrative functions. Outcome measures primarily focused on accuracy and quality (15/20 studies), with fewer assessing safety (4/20), readability or empathy (5/20), workflow efficiency (3/20), and error modes (2/20). Across use cases, LLMs demonstrated potential to improve efficiency and communication, although performance and risks varied by task complexity and use context.
Conclusion
LLMs hold substantial potential to enhance healthcare teamwork by supporting clinical decisions, streamlining administrative workflows, and improving patient communication. However, ethical, legal, and accountability concerns remain. Current studies largely evaluate model performance without considering the dynamics of human team members. Future research should examine LLMs' impact on trust, collaboration, and decision-making within clinical teams, while implementation efforts must address contextual and interdisciplinary factors to ensure responsible integration.