Enhancing Patient Communication With Chat-GPT in Radiology: Evaluating the Efficacy and Readability of Answers to Common Imaging-Related Questions.

PURPOSE: To assess ChatGPT's accuracy, relevance, and readability in answering patients' common imaging-related questions and examine the effect of a simple prompt. METHODS: A total of 22 imaging-related questions were developed from categories previously described as important to patients, as follows: safety, the radiology report, the procedure, preparation before imaging, meaning of terms, and medical staff. These questions were posed to ChatGPT with and without a short prompt instructing the model to provide an accurate and easy-to-understand response for the average person. Four board-certified radiologists evaluated the answers for accuracy, consistency, and relevance. Two patient advocates also reviewed responses for their utility for patients. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Kincaid Grade Level. Statistical comparisons were performed using χ2 and paired t tests. RESULTS: A total of 264 answers were assessed for both unprompted and prompted questions. Unprompted responses were accurate 83% of the time (218 of 264), which did not significantly change for prompted responses (87% [229 of 264]; P = .2). The consistency of the responses increased from 72% (63 of 88) to 86% (76 of 88) when prompts were given (P = .02). Nearly all responses (99% [261 of 264]) were at least partially relevant for both question types. Fewer unprompted responses were considered fully relevant at 67% (176 of 264), although this increased significantly to 80% when prompts were given (210 of 264; P = .001). The average Flesch Kincaid Grade Level was high at 13.6 [CI, 12.9-14.2], unchanged with the prompt (13.0 [CI, 12.41-13.60], P = .2). None of the responses reached the eighth-grade readability level recommended for patient-facing materials. DISCUSSION: ChatGPT demonstrates the potential to respond accurately, consistently, and relevantly to patients' imaging-related questions. However, imperfect accuracy and high complexity necessitate oversight before implementation. Prompts reduced response variability and yielded more-targeted information, but they did not improve readability. ChatGPT has the potential to increase accessibility to health information and streamline the production of patient-facing educational materials; however, its current limitations require cautious implementation and further research.

Patient-centered Reporting in Radiology: A Single-site Survey Study of Lung Cancer Screening Results.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess whether patients preferred traditional or patient-friendly radiology reports and, secondarily, whether one reporting style led to a subjective improvement in patients' understanding of their imaging results and next steps in their clinical care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized study included patients who had previously enrolled in an institutional comprehensive lung cancer screening program. Three hundred patients were randomly selected from the program database to receive both traditional and patient-centered radiology reports. Randomization also occurred at both the risk level of the fictitious test results (low, intermediate, or high) and the order in which the reports were read by each participant. Participants completed a survey providing demographic information and indicating which report style was preferred and which report style led to a better understanding of screening results and future options. In addition, each report style was rated (from 1 to 5) for clarity, understandability, attractiveness, and helpfulness. RESULTS: A total of 46 responses for report preference data and 41 responses for attribute rating data were obtained. Overall, participants demonstrate a preference for patient-friendly reports (65.2%) over traditional reports (21.7%). On a 5-point scale, average ratings for patient-friendly reports were higher than traditional reports by 1.2 (P<0.001) for clarity, 1.5 (P<0.001) for understandability, 1.5 (P<0.001) for attractiveness, and 1.0 (P<0.001) for helpfulness. CONCLUSION: Data suggest that patients prefer patient-friendly reports over traditional reports and find them to be clearer, more comprehensible, more attractive, and more helpful.

Patient-centered Radiology Reporting for Lung Cancer Screening.

Medicine is slowly transitioning toward a more patient-centered approach, with patients taking a more central role in their own care. A key part of this movement has involved giving patients increased access to their medical record and imaging results via electronic health portals. However, most patients lack the knowledge to fully understand medical documents, which are generally written above their comprehension level. Radiology reports, in particular, utilize complex terminology due to radiologists' historic function as consultants to other physicians, with little direct communication to patients. As a result, typical radiology reports lack standardized formatting, and they are often inscrutable to patients. Numerous studies examining patient preference also point to a trend for more accessible radiology reports geared toward patients. Reports designed with an infographic format, combining simple pictures and standardized text, may be an ideal format that radiologists can pursue to provide patient-centered care. Our team, through feedback from patient advisory groups, developed a patient-friendly low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening report with an infographic format that is both visually attractive and comprehensible to the average patient. The report is designed with sections including a description of low-dose computed tomography, a section on individualized patient results, the meaning of the results, and a list of the next steps in their care. We believe that this form of the report has the potential to serve as a bridge between radiologists and patients, allowing for a better patient understanding of their health and empowering patients to participate in their health and health care.