Domain-Specific Knowledge Graphs in RAG-Enhanced Healthcare LLMs

arXiv:2601.15429v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) generate fluent answers but can struggle with trustworthy, domain-specific reasoning. We evaluate whether domain knowledge graphs (KGs) improve Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for healthcare by constructing three PubMed-derived graphs: $mathbb{G}_1$ (T2DM), $mathbb{G}_2$ (Alzheimer’s disease), and $mathbb{G}_3$ (AD+T2DM). We design two probes: Probe 1 targets merged AD T2DM knowledge, while Probe 2 targets the intersection of $mathbb{G}_1$ and $mathbb{G}_2$. Seven instruction-tuned LLMs are tested across retrieval sources {No-RAG, $mathbb{G}_1$, $mathbb{G}_2$, $mathbb{G}_1$ + $mathbb{G}_2$, $mathbb{G}_3$, $mathbb{G}_1$+$mathbb{G}_2$ + $mathbb{G}_3$} and three decoding temperatures. Results show that scope alignment between probe and KG is decisive: precise, scope-matched retrieval (notably $mathbb{G}_2$) yields the most consistent gains, whereas indiscriminate graph unions often introduce distractors that reduce accuracy. Larger models frequently match or exceed KG-RAG with a No-RAG baseline on Probe 1, indicating strong parametric priors, whereas smaller/mid-sized models benefit more from well-scoped retrieval. Temperature plays a secondary role; higher values rarely help. We conclude that precision-first, scope-matched KG-RAG is preferable to breadth-first unions, and we outline practical guidelines for graph selection, model sizing, and retrieval/reranking. Code and Data available here – https://github.com/sydneyanuyah/RAGComparison