⚡ Quick Summary
A recent multi-country survey revealed that 66.4% of health profession education (HPE) students reported low levels of AI knowledge, despite a general positive attitude towards AI in healthcare. The study emphasizes the need for integrating AI into HPE curricula to prepare future healthcare professionals for an AI-driven landscape.
🔍 Key Details
- 🌍 Countries involved: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt
- 👩🎓 Participants: 642 HPE students (medical, nursing, physiotherapy, clinical nutrition)
- 📅 Data collection: February to October 2023 via online survey
- 📝 Domains covered: Benefits of AI, patient trust, future of healthcare professionals, AI in curricula, integration challenges
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 📉 Low AI knowledge: 66.4% of participants reported low knowledge levels, with the UAE having the highest at 72.7%.
- 📱 Learning sources: 54.4% learned about AI outside their curriculum, primarily through social media (66%).
- 👍 Positive attitudes: 51.2% expressed positive attitudes towards AI, with Egypt leading at 59.1%.
- 🤖 Support for integration: 77.6% supported AI integration in HPE, especially in Egypt (82.3%).
- 🔒 Concerns about trust: 43.5% perceived a negative impact of AI on patient trust, particularly in Egypt (54.7%).
- 👩⚕️ Future professional concerns: Only 18.1% were worried about AI’s impact on future healthcare professionals.
- 🚧 Integration challenges: 34.4% found AI integration challenging, with the UAE reporting the highest concerns (47.6%).
- 📚 Barriers identified: Lack of expert training (53%), awareness (50%), and interest in AI (41%) were common barriers.
📚 Background
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health profession education (HPE) is becoming increasingly important as AI technologies reshape healthcare delivery. Understanding AI’s implications is essential for HPE students, who will be the future healthcare professionals navigating this evolving landscape.
🗒️ Study
This cross-sectional study surveyed HPE students from four public universities across Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt. The survey aimed to assess students’ knowledge and attitudes towards AI, as well as the perceived challenges in integrating AI into HPE curricula.
📈 Results
The findings indicated that a significant portion of students lacked adequate knowledge about AI, with 66.4% reporting low levels of understanding. Despite this, a majority viewed AI positively in healthcare, with 91% expressing favorable opinions. However, notable variations existed in attitudes and perceived challenges across different countries.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The results of this study highlight the urgent need to enhance AI education within HPE curricula. By addressing the knowledge gap and fostering innovation, educational institutions can better prepare students for the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in healthcare. This integration is crucial for ensuring that future healthcare professionals are equipped to leverage AI technologies effectively.
🔮 Conclusion
This study underscores the importance of integrating AI into health profession education. By improving students’ awareness and understanding of AI, we can foster a generation of healthcare professionals who are not only knowledgeable but also innovative in an AI-driven medical landscape. The future of HPE must embrace these changes to enhance healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
💬 Your comments
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Shaping the future: perspectives on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in health profession education: a multi-country survey.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming health profession education (HPE) through personalized learning technologies. HPE students must also learn about AI to understand its impact on healthcare delivery. We examined HPE students’ AI-related knowledge and attitudes, and perceived challenges in integrating AI in HPE.
METHODS: This cross-sectional included medical, nursing, physiotherapy, and clinical nutrition students from four public universities in Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt. Data were collected between February and October 2023 via an online survey that covered five main domains: benefits of AI in healthcare, negative impact on patient trust, negative impact on the future of healthcare professionals, inclusion of AI in HPE curricula, and challenges hindering integration of AI in HPE.
RESULTS: Of 642 participants, 66.4% reported low AI knowledge levels. The UAE had the largest proportion of students with low knowledge (72.7%). The majority (54.4%) of participants had learned about AI outside their curriculum, mainly through social media (66%). Overall, 51.2% expressed positive attitudes toward AI, with Egypt showing the largest proportion of positive attitudes (59.1%). Although most participants viewed AI in healthcare positively (91%), significant variations were observed in other domains. The majority (77.6%) supported integrating AI in HPE, especially in Egypt (82.3%). A perceived negative impact of AI on patient trust was expressed by 43.5% of participants, particularly in Egypt (54.7%). Only 18.1% of participants were concerned about the impact of AI on future healthcare professionals, with the largest proportion from Egypt (33.0%). Some participants (34.4%) perceived AI integration as challenging, notably in the UAE (47.6%). Common barriers included lack of expert training (53%), awareness (50%), and interest in AI (41%).
CONCLUSION: This study clarified key considerations when integrating AI in HPE. Enhancing students’ awareness and fostering innovation in an AI-driven medical landscape are crucial for effectively incorporating AI in HPE curricula.
Author: [‘Issa WB’, ‘Shorbagi A’, ‘Al-Sharman A’, ‘Rababa M’, ‘Al-Majeed K’, ‘Radwan H’, ‘Refaat Ahmed F’, ‘Al-Yateem N’, ‘Mottershead R’, ‘Abdelrahim DN’, ‘Hijazi H’, ‘Khasawneh W’, ‘Ali I’, ‘Abbas N’, ‘Fakhry R’]
Journal: BMC Med Educ
Citation: Issa WB, et al. Shaping the future: perspectives on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in health profession education: a multi-country survey. Shaping the future: perspectives on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in health profession education: a multi-country survey. 2024; 24:1166. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06076-9