Patient education resources for oral mucositis: a google search and ChatGPT analysis

Oral mucositis affects 90% of patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation for head and neck malignancies. Many patients use the internet to learn about their condition and treatments; however, the quality of online resources is not guaranteed. Our objective was to determine the most common Google searches related to “oral mucositis” and assess the quality and readability of available resources compared to ChatGPT-generated responses.

Data related to Google searches for “oral mucositis” were analyzed. People Also Ask (PAA) questions (generated by Google) related to searches for “oral mucositis” were documented. Google resources were rated on quality, understandability, ease of reading, and reading grade level using the Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria, Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool, Flesch Reading Ease Score, and Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level, respectively. ChatGPT-generated responses to the most popular PAA questions were rated using identical metrics.

Google search popularity for “oral mucositis” has significantly increased since 2004. 78% of the Google resources answered the associated PAA question, and 6% met the criteria for universal readability. 100% of the ChatGPT-generated responses answered the prompt, and 20% met the criteria for universal readability when asked to write for the appropriate audience.

Most resources provided by Google do not meet the criteria for universal readability. When prompted specifically, ChatGPT-generated responses were consistently more readable than Google resources. After verification of accuracy by healthcare professionals, ChatGPT could be a reasonable alternative to generate universally readable patient education resources.