Exploring Patient Perspectives, Engagement, and Output Quality in Doctor-Supervised Use of Artificial Intelligence During Informed Consent Consultation With ChatGPT and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG): Quantitative Exploratory Study

Integrating RAG with ChatGPT significantly improves the quality, clarity, and reliability of preoperative information, enhancing patient satisfaction and engagement beyond native ChatGPT. However, patients maintain a strong preference for physician-led informed consent, underscoring the role of AI chatbots as complementary tools rather than replacements. These findings support the cautious adoption of customized AI assistants to augment, not substitute, human interaction in surgical consent processes.