Evaluating the Role of ChatGPT in Educating Patients With Early-stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Taiwan, with its onset linked to factors like chronic liver conditions, cirrhosis, and genetic predispositions. According to the "Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)" classification, early-stage liver cancer is demarcated by stages 0 to A. Upon such diagnosis, both patients and their families often have numerous questions and concerns, ranging from treatment choices to long-term outcomes. The research proposes a GPT-3.5-based chatbot to assist these patients by providing timely, personalized information, aiming to enrich their understanding of the disease and improve communication between patients and health professionals. The research methodology employs a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) design, dividing participants into a control cohort receiving standard patient education routine and an experimental cohort receiving both the AI chatbot and traditional education routine. The comparative analysis of these cohorts will determine the effectiveness of the AI intervention in improving patients' health literacy and satisfaction.