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Abstract: FR-PO793

Bridging the Literacy Gap in Living Kidney Donation Information by ChatGPT

Session Information

Category: Diversity and Equity in Kidney Health

  • 900 Diversity and Equity in Kidney Health

Authors

  • Garcia Valencia, Oscar Alejandro, Mayo Clinic Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
  • Craici, Iasmina, Mayo Clinic Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
  • Jadlowiec, Caroline, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
  • Mao, Shennen, Mayo Clinic in Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
  • Mao, Michael A., Mayo Clinic in Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
  • Leeaphorn, Napat, Mayo Clinic in Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
  • Budhiraja, Pooja, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
  • Thongprayoon, Charat, Mayo Clinic Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
  • Cheungpasitporn, Wisit, Mayo Clinic Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Background

Improving diversity and equity in living kidney donation requires ensuring that information on the topic is accessible to people with different levels of literacy. The average American adult reads at an eighth-grade level, highlighting the need to modify complex medical information for easier comprehension. ChatGPT, an AI language model, has the potential to modify medical information to improve readability. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ChatGPT in modifying living kidney donation information to an eighth-grade reading level.

Methods

We collected 27 questions and their answers from a widely accessible FAQs website (Donate Life America) related to living kidney donation. ChatGPT (03/23 Version) modified the text of the answers to make them easier to comprehend for those who read at or below an eighth-grade level. Original and modified information were assessed for readability using the well-validated Flesch-Kincaid formula. The grade level of each answer was compared before and after modification, and a paired t-test was used to evaluate the significance of any reduction in grade level.

Results

The average grade level of the original answers was 9.6±1.9, while the average grade level of the modified answers was 7.7±1.8, indicating a significant reduction in grade level (p<0.001). ChatGPT was able to modify the information to an eighth-grade reading level or below in 16 out of 27 cases (59%). The grade level of the modified answers ranged from 3.4 to 11.3.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that ChatGPT can be a useful tool in improving the grade level readability of information on living kidney donation for individuals with lower literacy levels. Although ChatGPT was not able to modify all the information to below an eighth-grade reading level, it significantly reduced the grade level readability of the modified information compared to the original information. This suggests that ChatGPT may potentially play a role in promoting diversity and equity in living kidney donation by making information more accessible to a wider range of individuals. While our study shows that ChatGPT can significantly reduce the grade level readability of modified information, there is still room for improvement.