The impact of artificial intelligence on clinical education: perceptions of postgraduate trainee doctors in London (UK) and recommendations for trainers

Maya Banerjee,Ieuan Johns,Jo Szram,Digby Chappell,Sameer Zaman,Keval T Patel,Daphne Chiew,Graham D Cole,Jack Ross,Darrel P Francis,Nick Linton

doi:10.1186/s12909-021-02870-x

Abstract

BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in clinical practice. Although there is robust evidence that AI innovations can improve patient care, reduce clinicians’ workload and increase efficiency, their impact on medical training and education remains unclear.MethodsA survey of trainee doctors’ perceived impact of AI technologies on clinical training and education was conducted at UK NHS postgraduate centers in London between October and December 2020. Impact assessment mirrored domains in training curricula such as ‘clinical judgement’, ‘practical skills’ and ‘research and quality improvement skills’. Significance between Likert-type data was analysed using Fisher’s exact test. Response variations between clinical specialities were analysed using k-modes clustering. Free-text responses were analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsTwo hundred ten doctors responded to the survey (response rate 72%). The majority (58%) perceived an overall positive impact of AI technologies on their training and education. Respondents agreed that AI would reduce clinical workload (62%) and improve research and audit training (68%). Trainees were skeptical that it would improve clinical judgement (46% agree, p = 0.12) and practical skills training (32% agree, p < 0.01). The majority reported insufficient AI training in their current curricula (92%), and supported having more formal AI training (81%).ConclusionsTrainee doctors have an overall positive perception of AI technologies’ impact on clinical training. There is optimism that it will improve ‘research and quality improvement’ skills and facilitate ‘curriculum mapping’. There is skepticism that it may reduce educational opportunities to develop ‘clinical judgement’ and ‘practical skills’. Medical educators should be mindful that these domains are protected as AI develops. We recommend that ‘Applied AI’ topics are formalized in curricula and digital technologies leveraged to deliver clinical education.

Highlights

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in clinical practice
There is an abundance of evidence supporting the safety, accuracy, cost and workflow benefits of AI technologies in healthcare [5,6,7], there is limited research investigating the impact of AI on medical education [8, 9], the new skills required, and in particular the perceptions of trainee doctors who will be frontline users of AI in healthcare
In this study we evaluate the impact of AI technologies on clinical education, as perceived by doctors in postgraduate training

Summary

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in clinical practice. There is an abundance of evidence supporting the safety, accuracy, cost and workflow benefits of AI technologies in healthcare [5,6,7], there is limited research investigating the impact of AI on medical education [8, 9], the new skills required, and in particular the perceptions of trainee doctors who will be frontline users of AI in healthcare. AI technologies are being developed that are capable of automating many tasks typically performed by doctors as part of their clinical training. These advancements are mostly limited to research applications, but it is only a matter of time before commercial uptake results in their routine use in everyday clinical practice. Robots trained by human operators could perform procedures such as venepuncture, and ultrasound [15, 16]

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