Artificial intelligence in healthcare; its knowledge, practice, and perception among medical personnel in the developing economy

Abstract

Background: The world is remodeling with the emergence of the most revolutionary technological advancement called artificial intelligence (AI). The study is to evaluate the knowledge, practice, and perception of AI in healthcare among care providers. Methodology: A descriptive, prospective design was adopted over a period of 8 months using a well-structured, self-administered questionnaire administered to medical practitioners. A total of 510 questionnaires out of 525 administered were retrieved immediately after completion. The responses were collated and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 in line with the study objectives. The data were presented orderly in frequency tables and charts. Results: Male constituted 59.02%, while the female was 40.98%. The mean (±standard deviation) age of the respondents is 45.88 ± 10.26 years. 21.18% of the respondents are consultants, 42.35% are resident doctors while 9.22% are medical officers and 27.25% constituting interns. 94.31% of the respondents know about AI, and the internet has been the main source (89.32%). Majorities know that AI is applied in radiology (96.50%) and surgery (94.05%). Four hundred and thirty-seven (91.81%) responded that there was no form of AI in their facilities and are willing to be trained. Two hundred and sixty-eight (55.83%) agreed that AI would improve healthcare services, while 43.66% of the respondents thought that it will eliminate the human factor. Poor knowledge of information technology, absence of legislation, and promotion of self-medication were the anticipated challenges. Conclusion: Little is known about AI use in pathology, drug-dispensing, and nursing care. There is no AI practice in this environment, but physicians are willing to embrace AI. The fear of eliminating the human factor and cause job loss remained a concern. Training and legislation to regulate AI use are recommended to improve the knowledge, practice, and perception of AI among medical personnel in the developing world.