AI-Simplified Patient Educational Materials: Investigating the Potential for Improved Patient Comprehension and Health Literacy

What this Trial Is About

Poor health literacy and difficulty understanding medical information can lead to worse health outcomes. Patient educational materials (PEMs) are designed to help patients learn about their health conditions. Since most American adults read at about an 8th grade level, health experts recommend PEMs be written at a 6th grade reading level. However, many PEMs are written at a much higher level. This study evaluates whether simplifying PEMs using artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, improves patient understanding of pediatric orthopedic conditions compared to the original materials. Participants will be randomly assigned to read either the original patient educational material about osteogenesis imperfecta written by a physician or an AI-simplified version adjusted to a 6th grade reading level. The study compares these two types of materials to see which leads to better comprehension. The AI simplification aims to make the content easier to read without changing the medical facts. Participants will first complete a short survey about their background and education. After reading their assigned material, they will take a 10-question multiple-choice quiz to measure how well they understood the information. Researchers will record comprehension scores immediately after the quiz and also collect factors that might affect understanding before the reading. This study is led by the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and expects to complete by May 2027.

Comparing Original Patient Educational Materials vs. AI-Simplified Materials to Improve Patient Comprehension and Health Literacy