Computational audiology as a gateway for hearing health literacy: usage of ChatGPT for education and health information in Wikimedia projects

• Grant number: 24/05572-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Lilian Cassia Bornia Jacob
• Grantee: Hector Gabriel Corrale de Matos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The integration of chatbots in health and education represents a cutting-edge development in generative artificial intelligence, with models like ChatGPT holding vast potential across various knowledge domains. Chatbots play a crucial role in combating global misinformation, particularly in healthcare, where false information can lead to severe consequences. Computational audiology, emerging in this context, highlights the importance of digital health literacy and the evaluation of health information quality in linking hearing health to digital methods, aiming to alleviate the global burden of hearing loss. Wikimedia projects serve as a vital platform for disseminating open health information and supporting educational approaches in health literacy. Prioritizing access to information and health literacy is essential for understanding and addressing the prevalence and impact of hearing loss throughout the lifespan. Objective: The proposed objective is to evaluate the application of computational audiology to enhance hearing health literacy in clinical and educational settings through ChatGPT retrieval augmentation using Wikimedia projects. Methodology: To explore the potential of chatbots in promoting hearing health literacy, a research methodology involving a cross-sectional intervention study will be employed. The study is structured in two phases, with randomized paired and stratified sampling groups. In Phase I, ChatGPT will be integrated into educational activities within a university course, aiding students in enhancing their knowledge of hearing health through collaborative contributions by editing content on Wikipedia and Wikidata. Students will receive training on the use of Wikimedia projects and ChatGPT in the context of promoting literacy and knowledge in hearing health. Phase II will integrate ChatGPT into hearing care guidance sessions at an Audiology Clinic School, leveraging information extraction from Wikipedia and Wikidata to enhance the health literacy skills of students. Both phases will include control groups for comparison with intervention groups, utilizing evaluation metrics based on human assessment and computational models. Instruments for characterizing and assessing the level of health literacy, developed by the authors, will be employed with patients experiencing hearing loss at the Audiology Clinic School.