Validation of ChatGPT 3.5 as a Tool to Optimize Readability of Patient-facing Craniofacial Education Materials

Background:. To address patient health literacy, the American Medical Association recommends that readability of patient education materials should not exceed a sixth grade reading level; the National Institutes of Health recommend no greater than an eigth-grade reading level. However, patient-facing materials in plastic surgery often remain at an above-recommended average reading level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ChatGPT 3.5 as a tool for optimizing patient-facing craniofacial education materials. Methods:. Eighteen patient-facing craniofacial education materials were evaluated for readability by a traditional calculator and ChatGPT 3.5. The resulting scores were compared. The original excerpts were then inputted to ChatGPT 3.5 and simplified by the artificial intelligence tool. The simplified excerpts were scored by the calculators. Results:. The difference in scores for the original excerpts between the online calculator and ChatGPT 3.5 were not significant (P = 0.441). Additionally, the simplified excerpts’ scores were significantly lower than the originals (P