Medical students and house officers' perception, attitude and potential barriers towards artificial intelligence in Egypt, cross sectional survey.

BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the sectors of medical research that is expanding the fastest right now in healthcare. AI has rapidly advanced in the field of medicine, helping to treat a variety of illnesses and reducing the number of diagnostic and follow-up errors.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the perception and attitude towards artificial intelligence (AI) among medical students & house officers in Egypt.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional study was done using a questionnaire on the Google Form website. The survey collected demographic data and explored participants' perception, attitude & potential barriers towards AI.

RESULTS

There are 1,346 responses from Egyptian medical students (25.8%) & house officers (74.2%). Most participants have inadequate perception (76.4%) about the importance and usage of AI in the medical field, while the majority (87.4%) have a negative attitude. Multivariate analysis revealed that age is the only independent predictor of AI perception (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13). However, perception level and gender are both independent predictors of attitude towards AI (AOR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.37-2.74 & AOR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.30-2.49, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The study found that medical students and house officers in Egypt have an overall negative attitude towards the integration of AI technologies in healthcare. Despite the potential benefits of AI-driven digital medicine, most respondents expressed concerns about the practical application of these technologies in the clinical setting. The current study highlights the need to address the concerns of medical students and house officers towards AI integration in Egypt. A multi-pronged approach, including education, targeted training, and addressing specific concerns, is necessary to facilitate the wider adoption of AI-enabled healthcare.