Abstract
To assess current perceptions, practices and education needs pertaining to artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical physics field. A web-based survey was distributed to the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) through social media and email membership list. The survey included questions about education, personal knowledge, needs, research and professionalism around AI in medical physics. Demographics information were also collected. Responses were stratified and analysed by gender, type of institution and years of experience in medical physics. Statistical significance (p<0.05) was assessed using paired t-test. 219 people from 31 countries took part in the survey. 81% (n=177) of participants agreed that AI will improve the daily work of Medical Physics Experts (MPEs) and 88% (n=193) of respondents expressed the need for MPEs of specific training on AI. The average level of AI knowledge among participants was 2.3±1.0 (mean±standard deviation) in a 1-to-5 scale and 96% (n=210) of participants showed interest in improving their AI skills. A significantly lower AI knowledge was observed for female participants (2.0±1.0), compared to male responders (2.4±1.0). 64% of participants indicated that they are not involved in AI projects. The percentage of female leading AI projects was significantly lower than the male counterparts (3% vs 19%). AI was perceived as a positive resource to support MPEs in their daily tasks. Participants demonstrated a strong interest in improving their current AI-related skills, enhancing the need for dedicated training for MPEs.
Highlights
In the last decade, widespread applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have found their ways into our daily life
It is not surprising that, over the past years, AI is one of the primary and most rapidly growing topics discussed in scien tific sessions and exhibition floors of major medical conferences like the European Congress of Radiology (ECR), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) annual meeting, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, the annual congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) or the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Medical Imaging and Informatics (EuSoMII)
This paper discusses the results of the international survey performed by the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) working group on AI, intended to assess the general AI knowledge level among Medical Physics Experts (MPEs), as a help-tool for revise current medical physics curricula and for designing teaching courses specific for MPEs
Summary
Widespread applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have found their ways into our daily life. It is not surprising that, over the past years, AI is one of the primary and most rapidly growing topics discussed in scien tific sessions and exhibition floors of major medical conferences like the European Congress of Radiology (ECR), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) annual meeting, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, the annual congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) or the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Medical Imaging and Informatics (EuSoMII) Such a rapid change in healthcare is already affecting the future of medical physics, by introducing new and previously impossible oppor tunities, as well as pitfalls [6,7,8]. In order to keep up with this change, it is essential to start working on the way medical physicists will re-shape and adapt their roles to this new technological implementation in healthcare provisions [9,10]
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