Department of Radiography, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Department of Medical Science & Public Health, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, Institute of Medical Imaging & Visualisation, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK.
J Med Radiat Sci. 2021 Sep;68(3):260-268. doi: 10.1002/jmrs.460. Epub 2021 Feb 14.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) systems into medical imaging is advancing the practice and patient care. It is thought to further revolutionise the entire field in the near future. This study explored Ghanaian radiographers' perspectives on the integration of AI into medical imaging.
A cross-sectional online survey of registered Ghanaian radiographers was conducted within a 3-month period (February-April, 2020). The survey sought information relating to demography, general perspectives on AI and implementation issues. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses.
A response rate of 64.5% (151/234) was achieved. Majority of the respondents (n = 122, 80.8%) agreed that AI technology is the future of medical imaging. A good number of them (n = 131, 87.4%) indicated that AI would have an overall positive impact on medical imaging practice. However, some expressed fears about AI-related errors (n = 126, 83.4%), while others expressed concerns relating to job security (n = 35, 23.2%). High equipment cost, lack of knowledge and fear of cyber threats were identified as some factors hindering AI implementation in Ghana.
The radiographers who responded to this survey demonstrated a positive attitude towards the integration of AI into medical imaging. However, there were concerns about AI-related errors, job displacement and salary reduction which need to be addressed. Lack of knowledge, high equipment cost and cyber threats could impede the implementation of AI in medical imaging in Ghana. These findings are likely comparable to most low resource countries and we suggest more education to promote credibility of AI in practice.
人工智能（AI）系统与医学成像的整合正在推进医学实践和患者护理。人们认为，它将在不久的将来进一步彻底改变整个领域。本研究探讨了加纳放射技师对将人工智能融入医学成像的看法。
在三个月的时间内（2020 年 2 月至 4 月），对加纳注册放射技师进行了横断面在线调查。该调查旨在获取与人口统计学、对人工智能的一般看法和实施问题相关的信息。采用描述性和推断性统计方法进行数据分析。
达到了 64.5%（151/234）的回复率。大多数受访者（n=122，80.8%）同意人工智能技术是医学成像的未来。他们中的许多人（n=131，87.4%）表示，人工智能将对医学成像实践产生全面的积极影响。然而，一些人对与人工智能相关的错误表示担忧（n=126，83.4%），而另一些人则对与工作保障相关的问题表示担忧（n=35，23.2%）。高昂的设备成本、缺乏知识和对网络威胁的恐惧被认为是阻碍加纳人工智能实施的一些因素。
参与这项调查的放射技师对将人工智能融入医学成像表现出积极的态度。然而，他们对人工智能相关错误、工作岗位流失和工资降低表示担忧，这些问题需要得到解决。缺乏知识、设备成本高昂和网络威胁可能会阻碍加纳医学成像中人工智能的实施。这些发现可能与大多数资源匮乏的国家相似，我们建议进行更多的教育，以提高人工智能在实践中的可信度。
