This brief report aims to highlight the impact of globalization – the international movement of goods, people, and ideas – on patient-provider communication in medical training and practice, and how the implementation of plain language communication training as a core competency for care providers can mitigate this impact. Globalization influences both patient and provider population diversity, which presents challenges with regard to patient-provider communication, particularly in cases of limited health literacy. Plain language communication - the delivery of information in a simple, succinct, and accurate manner - can help address these challenges. Training in plain language communication, however, is not a part of standard education for health care providers. Based on a synthesis of relevant literature pertaining to globalization, plain language communication, and medical education curricula, it is hoped that the information presented establishes the need for plain language communication as a core competency in medical education to enable providers to better meet the needs of an increasingly globalized health system.
Background As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care increases, it will become increasingly crucial to involve health care professionals (HCPs) in developing, validating, and implementing AI-enabled technologies. However, because of a lack of AI literacy, most HCPs are not adequately prepared for this revolution. This is a significant barrier to adopting and implementing AI that will affect patients. In addition, the limited existing AI education programs face barriers to development and implementation at various levels of medical education. Objective With a view to informing future AI education programs for HCPs, this scoping review aims to provide an overview of the types of current or past AI education programs that pertains to the programs’ curricular content, modes of delivery, critical implementation factors for education delivery, and outcomes used to assess the programs’ effectiveness. Methods After the creation of a search strategy and keyword searches, a 2-stage screening process was conducted by 2 independent reviewers to determine study eligibility. When consensus was not reached, the conflict was resolved by consulting a third reviewer. This process consisted of a title and abstract scan and a full-text review. The articles were included if they discussed an actual training program or educational intervention, or a potential training program or educational intervention and the desired content to be covered, focused on AI, and were designed or intended for HCPs (at any stage of their career). Results Of the 10,094 unique citations scanned, 41 (0.41%) studies relevant to our eligibility criteria were identified. Among the 41 included studies, 10 (24%) described 13 unique programs and 31 (76%) discussed recommended curricular content. The curricular content of the unique programs ranged from AI use, AI interpretation, and cultivating skills to explain results derived from AI algorithms. The curricular topics were categorized into three main domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. Conclusions This review provides an overview of the current landscape of AI in medical education and highlights the skills and competencies required by HCPs to effectively use AI in enhancing the quality of care and optimizing patient outcomes. Future education efforts should focus on the development of regulatory strategies, a multidisciplinary approach to curriculum redesign, a competency-based curriculum, and patient-clinician interaction.
Background Significant investments and advances in health care technologies and practices have created a need for digital and data-literate health care providers. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms transform the analysis, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions. Complex and massive data sets are informing significant health care decisions and clinical practices. The ability to read, manage, and interpret large data sets to provide data-driven care and to protect patient privacy are increasingly critical skills for today’s health care providers. Objective The aim of this study is to accelerate the appropriate adoption of data-driven and AI-enhanced care by focusing on the mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets of point-of-care health providers and their leaders in the health system. Methods To accelerate the adoption of AI and the need for organizational change at a national level, our multistepped approach includes creating awareness and capacity building, learning through innovation and adoption, developing appropriate and strategic partnerships, and building effective knowledge exchange initiatives. Education interventions designed to adapt knowledge to the local context and address any challenges to knowledge use include engagement activities to increase awareness, educational curricula for health care providers and leaders, and the development of a coaching and practice-based innovation hub. Framed by the Knowledge-to-Action framework, we are currently in the knowledge creation stage to inform the curricula for each deliverable. An environmental scan and scoping review were conducted to understand the current state of AI education programs as reported in the academic literature. Results The environmental scan identified 24 AI-accredited programs specific to health providers, of which 11 were from the United States, 6 from Canada, 4 from the United Kingdom, and 3 from Asian countries. The most common curriculum topics across the environmental scan and scoping review included AI fundamentals, applications of AI, applied machine learning in health care, ethics, data science, and challenges to and opportunities for using AI. Conclusions Technologies are advancing more rapidly than organizations, and professionals can adopt and adapt to them. To help shape AI practices, health care providers must have the skills and abilities to initiate change and shape the future of their discipline and practices for advancing high-quality care within the digital ecosystem. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/30940
BACKGROUND As new technologies emerge, there is a significant shift in the way care is delivered on a global scale. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been rapidly and inexorably used to optimize patient outcomes, reduce health system costs, improve workflow efficiency, and enhance population health. Despite the widespread adoption of AI technologies, the literature on patient engagement and their perspectives on how AI will affect clinical care is scarce. Minimal patient engagement can limit the optimization of these novel technologies and contribute to suboptimal use in care settings. OBJECTIVE We aimed to explore patients’ views on what skills they believe health care professionals should have in preparation for this AI-enabled future and how we can better engage patients when adopting and deploying AI technologies in health care settings. METHODS Semistructured interviews were conducted from August 2020 to December 2021 with 12 individuals who were a patient in any Canadian health care setting. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation occurred. A thematic analysis approach outlined by Braun and Clarke was used to inductively analyze the data and identify overarching themes. RESULTS Among the 12 patients interviewed, 8 (67%) were from urban settings and 4 (33%) were from rural settings. A majority of the participants were very comfortable with technology (n=6, 50%) and somewhat familiar with AI (n=7, 58%). In total, 3 themes emerged: cultivating patients’ trust, fostering patient engagement, and establishing data governance and validation of AI technologies. CONCLUSIONS With the rapid surge of AI solutions, there is a critical need to understand patient values in advancing the quality of care and contributing to an equitable health system. Our study demonstrated that health care professionals play a synergetic role in the future of AI and digital technologies. Patient engagement is vital in addressing underlying health inequities and fostering an optimal care experience. Future research is warranted to understand and capture the diverse perspectives of patients with various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
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