Assessment of Awareness, Perception, and Opinions Towards Artificial Intelligence among Health Care Professionals and Medical Students at Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, including machine learning and deep learning, enhances diagnosis and treatment across specialties like cardiology, dermatology, and ophthalmology. Its applications extend to transcription, patient data organization, and remote healthcare, offering support to medical professionals and transforming medical education for students and trainees. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with consecutive sampling, and 90 medical students were included in the study. Data was collected using Questionnaire data forms and analysed. Results: The findings revealed that 73.9% of students were aware of AI, but a significant 80.0% reported a lack of formal education on the subject. Positive perceptions included the recognition of AI's efficacy in reducing errors (71.1%) and facilitating patient education (56.7%). However, concerns were raised regarding potential impacts on the healthcare professional-patient relationship. The majority (56.7%) advocated for the integration of AI knowledge and skills into the academic curriculum. The mean positive perception score of 29.8 showed associations with age, and year of study. Conclusion: This study underscores the need to address gaps in AI awareness and advocates for the integration of AI education into pharmacy curricula. The findings highlight nuanced perspectives among students and emphasize the potential benefits of tailored educational strategies to harness positive attitudes toward AI integration in healthcare.