Implementation of Large Language Models in Anesthesia to Answer Patients' Questions During Pre-Anesthesia Visits: A Prospective, Observational Study

Patients are waiting for surgery longer than ever before. While hospitals are trying to get patients access to surgery as quickly as possible, a shortage of anesthesia doctors (called anesthesiologists) prevents this. Every surgery needs an anesthesiologist, but anesthesiologists also assess patients beforehand to ensure they can safely undergo surgery and help patients understand what to expect and the risks involved. Ensuring that patients move through surgery as safely and efficiently as possible requires that the limited number of anesthesiologists in Canada work as efficiently as possible. Technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI), in programs such as ChatGPT, might assist by answering common questions patients have, allowing anesthesiologists to focus their limited time on addressing complex and personalized issues for each patient. However, studies conducted so far on how well AI can answer questions about anesthesia and surgery have been poorly designed and have not included patients as members of the research team. This study will determine whether AI can answer patients' questions before surgery as effectively as both patients and expert anesthesiologists would expect, which could be beneficial to patients and the healthcare system.