Readability, quality and accuracy of generative artificial intelligence chatbots for commonly asked questions about labor epidurals: a comparison of ChatGPT and Bard

Introduction

Over 90% of pregnant women and 76% expectant fathers search for pregnancy health information. We examined readability, accuracy and quality of answers to common obstetric anesthesia questions from the popular generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots ChatGPT and Bard.

Methods

Twenty questions for generative AI chatbots were derived from frequently asked questions based on professional society, hospital and consumer websites. ChatGPT and Bard were queried in November 2023. Answers were graded for accuracy by four obstetric anesthesiologists. Quality was measured using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Print (PEMAT). Readability was measured using six readability indices. Accuracy, quality and readability were compared using independent t-test.

Results

Bard readability scores were high school level, significantly easier than ChatGPT’s college level by all scoring metrics (P <0.001). Bard had significantly longer answers (P <0.001), yet with similar accuracy of Bard (85 % ± 10) and ChatGPT (87 % ± 14) (P = 0.5). PEMAT understandability scores were no statistically significantly different (P = 0.06). Actionability by PEMAT scores for Bard was significantly higher (22% vs. 9%) than ChatGPT (P = 0.007)

Conclusion

Answers to questions about “labor epidurals” should be accurate, high quality, and easy to read. Bard at high school reading level, was well above the goal 4^th to 6^th grade level suggested for patient materials. Consumers, health care providers, hospitals and governmental agencies should be aware of the quality of information generated by chatbots. Chatbots should meet the standards for readability and understandability of health-related questions, to aid public understanding and enhance shared decision-making.