ChatGPT can provide patients with radiation protection information
Research published in Radiology on 25 June reveals that ChatGPT can effectively answer patient questions about radiation protection for medical imaging exams. A team led by Sofyan Jankowski, MD, from Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland discovered that ChatGPT's responses were comparable to those found on radiology institutional websites.
Comparing Responses
Although there were slight differences in terms of wordiness, the study showed that there was no statistically significant variance between ChatGPT's answers and those provided by radiology institutions. The performance of ChatGPT in delivering radiation protection information was highlighted in this research.
According to the authors, "Implementing ChatGPT may address the need for clear and accessible information about radiation protection."
The research team collected 12 patient questions regarding radiation protection from radiology institutional websites to assess ChatGPT's responses. These questions were then presented to both ChatGPT and 12 experts from the U.S. and Europe, including radiologists, medical physicists, and radiographers. The experts evaluated the answers based on scientific adequacy, public comprehension, and overall satisfaction.
Although there were no statistically significant differences in most aspects, there was a notable variance in how responses were perceived to be generated by AI or human intellect.
Findings and Recommendations
ChatGPT-generated responses were found to have a higher word count compared to human-generated responses. However, some raters criticized the ChatGPT-generated responses for their format, language, relevance, and presence of misleading information.
The researchers emphasized the importance of effective communication about radiation protection, suggesting that tools like ChatGPT could be utilized in radiology waiting rooms to provide patients with information while they await their examinations. They stressed that such tools should supplement, not replace, direct communication between healthcare providers and patients.
The full study is available here.
