Structured taxonomy and framework for developing medical benchmark in large language models derived from scoping review

With the rapid advancement of large language model technology, numerous studies have explored its application in the medical field. Robust evaluation is crucial for ensuring reliability and safety, leading to the development of diverse benchmark datasets. In this study, we propose a structured taxonomy to provide researchers with practical guidance for benchmark selection. Furthermore, we introduce READY, a development framework built on five principles - Reliable, Ethical, Annotated, Diverse, Yield-validated - to support the systematic design of medical benchmarks and strengthen future evaluation practices. To establish the taxonomy and framework, we systematically reviewed benchmark datasets designed for evaluating LLMs in medical context. A comprehensive literature search yielded 55 relevant studies. Each benchmark was analyzed using a structured framework encompassing the dataset construction and evaluation methodology. To assess the applicability of the proposed framework, five domain experts independently applied the READY framework to benchmark studies, demonstrating consistent inter-rater agreement. We anticipate that this research will promote more rigorous and ethical LLM evaluation, paving the way for the safe application of LLMs in clinical settings.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
npj Digital Medicine
Published
2026-03-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02567-9
Primary Topic
Machine Learning in Healthcare
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Structured taxonomy and framework for developing medical benchmark in large language models derived from scoping review

Junbok Lee, Belong Cho, Jaeyong Shin
npj Digital Medicine
Machine Learning in Healthcare
article

Structured taxonomy and framework for developing medical benchmark in large language models derived from scoping review

Junbok Lee, Belong Cho, Jaeyong Shin
article en

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of large language model technology, numerous studies have explored its application in the medical field. Robust evaluation is crucial for ensuring reliability and safety, leading to the development of diverse benchmark datasets. In this study, we propose a structured taxonomy to provide researchers with practical guidance for benchmark selection. Furthermore, we introduce READY, a development framework built on five principles - Reliable, Ethical, Annotated, Diverse, Yield-validated - to support the systematic design of medical benchmarks and strengthen future evaluation practices. To establish the taxonomy and framework, we systematically reviewed benchmark datasets designed for evaluating LLMs in medical context. A comprehensive literature search yielded 55 relevant studies. Each benchmark was analyzed using a structured framework encompassing the dataset construction and evaluation methodology. To assess the applicability of the proposed framework, five domain experts independently applied the READY framework to benchmark studies, demonstrating consistent inter-rater agreement. We anticipate that this research will promote more rigorous and ethical LLM evaluation, paving the way for the safe application of LLMs in clinical settings.

npj Digital Medicine
Seoul National University (KR), Yonsei University (KR), New Generation University College (ET), Seoul National University Hospital (KR), National University College (PR), Yonsei University Health System (KR)
Seoul National University, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Machine Learning in Healthcare
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Structured taxonomy and framework for developing medical benchmark in large language models derived from scoping review — Junbok Lee, Belong Cho, et al. · npj Digital Medicine (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS