Improving electronic health record processing of large language models via retrieval-augmented generation: A case study on dietary supplements.

Large language models (LLMs) excel in natural language processing (NLP) but struggle with domain-specific complexities in electronic health records (EHRs). We demonstrate that retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) enhances LLMs for dietary supplement (DS) information extraction. By testing models like Llama-3 with diverse retrievers on tasks including entity recognition and usage classification, task-aligned retrieval outperforms reliance on model size or specialization. Smaller general models paired with optimized retrievers match or exceed specialized counterparts-structured retrieval aids complex tasks (e.g., triple extraction), while semantic retrieval improves classification. Results challenge assumptions that larger or domain-specific models are superior, emphasizing dynamic knowledge integration over brute-force scaling. This approach offers practical strategies for clinical NLP, enabling efficient EHR analysis without massive resources. Prioritizing retrieval strategies over model size advances tools for evidence-based healthcare, highlighting adaptability and cost-effectiveness in real-world medical applications.