Background
The advancement of health care information technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence has yielded tools to improve the quality of various health care processes. Few studies have investigated employee perceptions of artificial intelligence implementation in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian world. In addition, limited studies investigated the effect of employee knowledge and job title on the perception of artificial intelligence implementation in the workplace.
Objective
The aim of this study was to explore health care employee perceptions and attitudes toward the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in health care institutions in Saudi Arabia.
Methods
An online questionnaire was published, and responses were collected from 250 employees, including doctors, nurses, and technicians at 4 of the largest hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Results
The results of this study showed that 3.11 of 4 respondents feared artificial intelligence would replace employees and had a general lack of knowledge regarding artificial intelligence. In addition, most respondents were unaware of the advantages and most common challenges to artificial intelligence applications in the health sector, indicating a need for training. The results also showed that technicians were the most frequently impacted by artificial intelligence applications due to the nature of their jobs, which do not require much direct human interaction.
Conclusions
The Saudi health care sector presents an advantageous market potential that should be attractive to researchers and developers of artificial intelligence solutions.
Despite calls for integration of palliative care (PC) into the care of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) uptake remains low. Interventions that target top priorities in CKD care and address barriers to collaboration are needed. Methods: Our team invited all clinicians working in nephrology and palliative care departments (N ¼ 195) at a large academic health center to participate in an on-line survey designed to capture their perspectives regarding facilitators and barriers to collaboration, and top research and clinical priorities in advanced CKD. Results: Response rate ¼ 48.7% (n¼ 95). Most respondents were registered nurses (65.3%) in nephrology (80%) with over 15 years' experience (40%). Respondents reported being comfortable caring for patients at or near end-of-life yet inadequately trained to provide comprehensive care. They endorsed the importance of advance care planning and collaboration between nephrology and PC teams, yet both rarely happen. Fragmentation of care was perceived as the main barrier to collaboration. Nephrology clinicians cited patient/family resistance to PC while PC clinicians cited nephrologists' resistance, as the next significant barrier. Perceptions regarding collaboration facilitation differed; nephrology clinicians identified patient/family education as the most important facilitator while PC clinicians identified clinician education as the most important facilitator. Top clinical priorities also differed. PC clinicians reported pain/symptom management as taking priority while nephrology clinicians identified caregiver/family support. Developing interventions to support treatment-related decision making was the top research priority for both groups. Conclusions: Additional studies to capture patients' and families' perspectives and examine end-of-life care, which are underway, will provide a comprehensive picture. Results will inform the development of targeted interventions.
BACKGROUND
The advancement of health care information technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence has yielded tools to improve the quality of various health care processes. Few studies have investigated employee perceptions of artificial intelligence implementation in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian world. In addition, limited studies investigated the effect of employee knowledge and job title on the perception of artificial intelligence implementation in the workplace.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore health care employee perceptions and attitudes toward the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in health care institutions in Saudi Arabia.
METHODS
An online questionnaire was published, and responses were collected from 250 employees, including doctors, nurses, and technicians at 4 of the largest hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
RESULTS
The results of this study showed that 3.11 of 4 respondents feared artificial intelligence would replace employees and had a general lack of knowledge regarding artificial intelligence. In addition, most respondents were unaware of the advantages and most common challenges to artificial intelligence applications in the health sector, indicating a need for training. The results also showed that technicians were the most frequently impacted by artificial intelligence applications due to the nature of their jobs, which do not require much direct human interaction.
CONCLUSIONS
The Saudi health care sector presents an advantageous market potential that should be attractive to researchers and developers of artificial intelligence solutions.
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