Exploring younger versus older Canadians' perceptions of the use of AI in healthcare

Abstract

<h3>Introduction</h3> With the adoptation of telemedicine in the healthcare system, many health services, programs and tools are now offered virtually. In this study, we aim to explore any differences between younger and older Canadians with regard to level of comfort and perceptions around the adoption and use of AI technology in healthcare settings. Our primary objective to compare perceptions of the use of AI in healthcare among younger versus older Canadians. We hypothesize that younger people, who are generally more exposed to emerging technology, will have more favorable opinions and responses to the use of AI in healthcare compared to older people. <h3>Methods</h3> We analyzed data from the 2021 Canadian Digital Health Survey which is a national open dataset. Upon identifying the items that address our objectives we grouped participants by age, into a younger (16-54 yo) and older group (>54 yo). To test our objective, we conducted Mann Whitney U tests to compare the level of comfort of younger versus older Canadians regarding the use of AI in healthcare for a variety of purposes. <h3>Results</h3> The average rank of artificial intelligence knowledge was significantly higher for younger participants (6296.97) than for older participants (5557.48), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 14779930.50, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001. The average rank of comfort using personal data with informed consent was significantly higher for younger participants (5976.91) than for older participants (6112.49), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 16468338.00, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .30. The average rank of comfort using personal data without informed consent was significantly higher for younger participants (6182.54) than for older participants (5755.90), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 15654590.50, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001. There was no significant difference in mean rank in older participants' (6096.18) comfort with AI as a major potential tool to process large amounts of data when compared to younger participants (5986.32), <i>Mann Whitney U = </i>16540240.00<i>, p</i> = .079. The average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in monitoring and predicting health conditions was significantly higher for older participants (6194.98) than for younger participants (5929.35), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 16104735.50, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001. The average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in decision support was significantly higher for older participants (6335.80) than for younger participants (5848.14), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 15483997.00, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> Mann Whitney U = 15662216.00, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001 . The average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in precision medicine was significantly higher for older participants (6274.31) than for younger participants (5883.60), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 15755037.00, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001. The average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in drug and vaccine development was significantly higher for older participants (6417.87) than for younger participants (5800.81), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> =15122200.00, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001 .The average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in disease monitoring at home was significantly higher for older participants (6182.88) than for younger participants (5936.32), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 16158032.00, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001 . The average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in tracking epidemics was significantly higher for older participants (6363.68) than for younger participants (5832.06), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 15361074.50, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < .001. Finally, the average rank of comfort for the uses of AI within healthcare in optimising workflow to save time for healthcare was significantly higher for older participants (6172.83) than for younger participants (5942.12), <i>Mann Whitney U</i> = 16202367.50, <i>n</i>1= 7644 <i>n</i>2 = 4408, <i>p</i> < 001. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The results show that despite being less knowledgable about AI, older adults are significantly more comfortable with AI being applied in specific branches of healthcare compared to younger Canadians. <h3>Secondary Rationale</h3> Exploring older adults' opinions and perceptions around the use of AI in the healthcare system is cruicial for understanding and evaluating the use and effectiveness of different telemedicine practices. This will also allow researchers and clinicians to better communicate and educate different patient populations on the use of technology in medical contexts and to ensure that all patients can access the most appropriate and feasible healthcare services with ease. <h3>This research was funded by</h3> No funding was used for this study.