Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in Preoperative Counseling for Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

Objective: To evaluate the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT, in preoperative counseling for patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery.

Study design: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Setting: Single institution tertiary care center.

Methods: ChatGPT was used to generate presurgical educational information including indications, risks, and recovery time for five common head and neck surgeries. Chatbot-generated information was compared with information gathered from a simple browser search (first publicly available website excluding scholarly articles). The accuracy of the information, readability, thoroughness, and number of errors were compared by five experienced head and neck surgeons in a blinded fashion. Each surgeon then chose a preference between the two information sources for each surgery.

Results: With the exception of total word count, ChatGPT-generated pre-surgical information has similar readability, content of knowledge, accuracy, thoroughness, and numbers of medical errors when compared to publicly available websites. Additionally, ChatGPT was preferred 48% of the time by experienced head and neck surgeons.

Conclusion: Head and neck surgeons rated ChatGPT-generated and readily available online educational materials similarly. Further refinement in AI technology may soon open more avenues for patient counseling. Future investigations into the medical safety of AI counseling and exploring patients' perspectives would be of strong interest.

Level of evidence: N/A. Laryngoscope, 134:2757-2761, 2024.