Ascle: A Python Natural Language Processing Toolkit for Medical Text Generation

TL;DR

Ascle is a comprehensive Python toolkit for medical text generation and NLP tasks, integrating advanced pre-trained models and essential functions tailored for biomedical research and healthcare professionals.

Contribution

It introduces the first integrated toolkit evaluating and interfacing with state-of-the-art pre-trained models for multiple medical NLP generation tasks.

Findings

Supports question-answering, summarization, simplification, translation

Includes 12 essential NLP functions and database search capabilities

Open-source availability for biomedical community

Abstract

This study introduces Ascle, a pioneering natural language processing (NLP) toolkit designed for medical text generation. Ascle is tailored for biomedical researchers and healthcare professionals with an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution that requires minimal programming expertise. For the first time, Ascle evaluates and provides interfaces for the latest pre-trained language models, encompassing four advanced and challenging generative functions: question-answering, text summarization, text simplification, and machine translation. In addition, Ascle integrates 12 essential NLP functions, along with query and search capabilities for clinical databases. The toolkit, its models, and associated data are publicly available via https://github.com/Yale-LILY/MedGen.