Study Evaluates ChatGPT-Generated Consent Forms for Dermatologic Devices

A new cross-sectional study suggests that ChatGPT-4 (January 2025 version) may serve as a useful tool for drafting informed consent documents in dermatologic procedures, though variability in accuracy and completeness limits its clinical reliability without expert oversight.

Published in Dermatologic Surgery, the study evaluated the performance of ChatGPT-4 in generating consent forms for 8 commonly used energy-based devices. Researchers used standardized prompts to create forms, which were then assessed by 5 board-certified dermatologists using a 4-point rubric. The evaluation focused on five core domains: accuracy of procedure description, benefits, risks, alternatives, and overall impression.

Among the device categories, consent forms for radiofrequency microneedling received the highest average score (2.75/3.0), with 9 of 10 evaluated domains scoring at or above 2.5. In contrast, forms generated for monopolar radiofrequency devices performed the poorest, averaging 1.85 and scoring ≤2 in 6 domains. Across all forms, documentation of expected pain (2.68) and post-procedure restrictions (2.5) was consistently strong, while general procedural descriptions (2.16) and overall impression (2.05) were comparatively weaker.

“ChatGPT shows promise in generating informed consent documents efficiently, particularly for procedures like radiofrequency microneedling,” the authors wrote. “However, variability in completeness and occasional inaccuracies limit its standalone clinical utility. Dermatologist oversight remains essential. Broader studies are needed to assess the impact of AI-generated forms on patient comprehension and satisfaction in diverse clinical settings.”