Executive summary
Applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are making inroads and headlines in healthcare.
Accordingly, the need for researchers and clinicians to find the latest, most accurate,
clinically relevant information about AI in healthcare (AIH) has grown exponentially.
However, the vast sea of databases from which one can draw often presents
overwhelming noise, requiring users to possess significant expertise in searching and
appraising information.
In contrast, the NEJM Collection published by the NEJM Group, particularly NEJM AI, offers
a guiding light by purposefully curating signals from noise to provide the latest, most
clinically relevant, and immediately transformative information on all AIH topics.
NEJM AI: Transforming healthcare research
AIH is a topic of intense discovery and discussion. Articles alternately spotlight AIH’s
promise or its perils. Many proofs of concept exist for AI-enabled technologies; however,
studies to date on those technologies have been small and sparse. Moreover, patient
outcomes have not been consistently measured, so the effectiveness of the technology
is unclear. The crucial question of performance gain — what measurable improvement is
due to the AI model alone — needs to be rigorously addressed.
The average clinician often struggles to interpret the results of an AI study while trying to
determine whether the tool is safe and effective enough to use in practice, partly due to
the time-intensive nature of appraisal and the sheer volume of new publications.
Medical librarians can bridge the gap
Medical librarians are uniquely positioned to fill those information and skill gaps as
they increasingly field user questions regarding how to find good research on AIH and
interpret the results. AIH information can be drawn from a vast sea of databases, but
the onus is on the user to apply the right filters and be an expert in evaluating the
information. In contrast, the NEJM Complete Collection, including NEJM AI, provides a
guiding light to the latest, most clinically relevant information about AIH. Librarians can
support clinicians not only in searching but also in developing algorithmic literacy and
critically appraising AI outputs, a crucial skill in a rapidly evolving landscape.
The NEJM Complete Collection is a product suite of high-impact, peer-reviewed content
curated for researchers, physician learners, and educators at medical schools. The
collection stands alone as an entire ecosystem that deliberately separates signal
from noise, offering only the most relevant, immediately transformative information
for proactively advancing care. Beyond simply presenting information, the portfolio
curates content for accuracy and clinical relevance, while also offering physician-editor
commentary to provide essential context and clinical decision-making support.
How to optimize the use of the NEJM Collection
For all users, NEJM Journal Watch can serve as the primary entry point for research.
Its authors cull information from more than 150 medical journals, generating succinct
summaries of clinical studies, highlighting key findings and clinical implications, and
providing expert commentary. This effectively offloads the overwhelming task of staying
current and appraising diverse literature for clinicians and researchers. Topics can then
be explored in more depth within the primary articles.
Complementary publications
The journals in the NEJM Complete Collection are designed to complement each other,
each with a distinct and necessary mission aligned towards specific improvements in
research and medicine, rather than merely increasing publication volume. Consider this
AIH example: