Co-Design of a Health Screening Program Fact Sheet by People Experiencing Homelessness and ChatGPT: Focus Group Study

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Public Health
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Homeless individuals face significant oral health disparities and limited health information access.
• Barriers like low health literacy and mistrust hinder participation in health screening programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to co-design health screening fact sheets for the homeless population.
• To involve 'experts by experience' in tailoring AI-generated content for oral cancer screening.

Main Methods:

• Six text variants for an oral cancer screening fact sheet were generated using ChatGPT 3.5.
• Co-design principles were applied through surveys and focus groups with 23 individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Readability was assessed using the Sydney Health Literacy Lab Editor.

Main Results:

• Participants had limited prior AI knowledge but positively engaged with AI-generated content.
• Initial AI-generated fact sheets received high ratings, though participants identified issues with medical jargon and stereotyping.
• Readability assessments indicated most AI variants were too complex for the target audience.

Conclusions:

• Co-design empowers homeless individuals to shape health communication materials.
• Generative AI shows potential for healthcare applications, with users open to its use.
• Refining AI-generated content is crucial to ensure health information is accessible and appropriate for vulnerable populations.