Undergraduate Medical Students’ and Interns’ Knowledge and Perception of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare and health professions education. This study explored medical students' and interns' knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI), perceptions of the role of AI in medicine, and preferences around the teaching of AI competencies. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the authors used a previously validated Canadian questionnaire and gathered responses from students and interns at KIST Medical College, Nepal. Face validity and reliability of the tool were assessed by administering the questionnaire to 20 alumni as a pilot sample (Cronbach alpha = 0.6). Survey results were analyzed quantitatively (p-value = 0.05). Results: In total 216 students (37% response rate) participated. The median AI knowledge score was 11 (interquartile range 4), and the maximum possible score was 25. The score was higher among final year students (p = 0.006) and among those with additional training in AI (p = 0.040). Over 49% strongly agreed or agreed that AI will reduce the number of jobs for doctors. Many expect AI to impact their specialty choice, felt the Nepalese health-care system is ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of AI, and opined every student of medicine should receive training on AI competencies. Conclusion:The lack of coverage of AI and machine learning in Nepalese medical schools has resulted in students being unaware of AI's impact on individual patients and the healthcare system. A high perceived willingness among respondents to learn about AI is a positive sign and a strong indicator of futuristic successful curricula changes. Systematic implementation of AI in the Nepalese healthcare system can be a potential tool in addressing health-care challenges related to resource and manpower constraints. Incorporating topics related to AI and machine learning in medical curricula can be a useful first step.

Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare students and professionals on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare

“…Questions related to knowledge were of AI were graded on a 3-point Likert scale. and technicians, regarding AI and its applications [12]. However, most of our participants did not have any formal AI training in their education or careers, which aligns with a similar study from India [13] and Nepal [14].…”

Medical Students’ Attitude towards Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: A National Multicenter Survey

“…This was however similar to other research done in developing countries. A study in Nepal found about half of the students did not understand the term ''Arti cial Intelligence'' [19]. These ndings can be seen hand in hand to the fact that the medical curriculum in most developing countries including Ethiopia and Nepal do not include Arti cial Intelligence.…”

Attitude, awareness, and understanding of Artificial Intelligence AI among medical and dental students in Jordan: a cross-sectional study

“…Similarly, study conducted by Saad et al reported that only 18.4% of students had taken AI courses, and these students were more likely to emphasize the signi cant role of AI in healthcare [16]. Likewise, a study conducted by Jha et al showed that 91.7% of participants did not attend AI courses, and 95.8% were not involved in programming courses either [25]. These variations highlight signi cant differences in the exposure to AI courses and programming language learning between our study sample and previous research, underscore potential variations in educational backgrounds or interests among the participants, which could imply disparities in their learning experiences [24].…”