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Abstract
Plain Language SummaryAs technology continues to evolve, it is important to understand how it can help but also harm certain groups of people. The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine is rapidly growing. Specifically within ophthalmology, recent studies have shown that AI like ChatGPT-4 is capable of answering patient questions in similar quality levels to human ophthalmologists. How readable this information output by AI is to the average patient seeking these data is important to understanding its accessibility. Therefore, in this study we aimed to compare the readability level of responses from AI and human ophthalmologists to inform future discussions on information accessibility. Our results showed that a higher education level is needed to understand responses from ChatGPT-4 (14th grade) compared to ophthalmologists (12th grade). This is much higher than the average reading level of adults in the USA (8th). Additionally, both required an education level significantly higher than the readability recommendation for medical information from national health organizations (6–7th grade). Our findings emphasize the importance of ensuring information accessibility in the development and usage of technology in the medical space. Failing to prioritize these factors could worsen healthcare disparities for patient populations already at a disadvantage in society.
Published Version
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