ChatGPT-4o in Pediatric Burn Care: Expert Review of Its Role in Initial Clinical Decision-Making

This study aims to evaluate the accuracy and quality of responses generated by ChatGPT-4o to frequently asked questions (FAQs) posed by practicing physicians regarding the initial assessment of pediatric burn injuries, as assessed by pediatric burn specialists.

Thirty-four FAQs about pediatric burn care were posed to ChatGPT-4o twice, 2 weeks apart, in a blinded manner by 4 experienced pediatric surgeons who work at a national tertiary referral burn center. Questions were divided into 5 subgroups; initial assessment and triage, fluid resuscitation and hemodynamic management, wound care and infection prevention, pain management and sedation, special situations and follow-up. The reliability of ChatGPT-4o's answers was evaluated utilizing the modified 5-point DISCERN tool (mDISCERN). The comprehensive quality of the answers was assessed using the Global Quality Score (GQS). Inter-rater reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

ChatGPT-4o demonstrated high-quality and reliable responses to questions. The median GQS was 4.75 (range: 3.50-5.00). The mDISCERN median score was 9.25 (range: 7.00-10.00), reflecting strong informational reliability. There was a very strong correlation between GQS and mDISCERN scores (r = 0.858, P < .001), indicating consistent alignment between content quality and reliability. Inter-rater reliability analysis showed excellent consistency for average scores (ICC = 0.87, P < .001), supporting the robustness of the reviewers' assessments.

ChatGPT-4o demonstrated itself to be a high-quality and reliable source of information for the initial evaluation of pediatric patients with burn injuries, providing substantial support for healthcare professionals in clinical decision-making.