Cognitive bias in clinical large language models.

Mahajan, Arjun; Obermeyer, Ziad; Daneshjou, Roxana; Lester, Jenna; Powell, Dylan · NPJ Digit Med · 2025

review · Level V

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Abstract

Cognitive bias accounts for a significant portion of preventable errors in healthcare, contributing to significant patient morbidity and mortality each year. As large language models (LLMs) are introduced into healthcare and clinical decision-making, these systems are at risk of inheriting – and even amplifying – these existing biases. This article explores both the cognitive biases impacting LLM-assisted medicine and the countervailing strengths these technologies bring to addressing these limitations.