Knowledge, Perception, Practice and Barriers to Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) among Egyptian Medical Doctors

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Cancer Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt.

2 Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Cairo University, Egypt.

Abstract

Back ground: Several studies highlight the impact of Artificial intelligence (AI) systems on healthcare delivery. AI driven tools have the potential to enhance diagnosis, prognosis, as well ashealth care planning. It is anticipated that AI will become an essential component of healthcare services in the near future, integrating into various facets of clinical care. Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing an online questionnaire to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices related to AI among medical professionals was carried out. A total of 131 doctors from Cairo University Medical hospitals were selected through a convenient sampling method. Results: Out of 131 doctors, 70 % were females. The median age of the participants was 37 years, with ages ranging from 24 to 79 years. The most represented specialty was internal medicine, accounting for 38.2% of the group. Among the utilized AI tools, Chat GPT was the most common, used by 68.3% of participants. The primary purpose for using such tools was plagiarism checks, which was chosen by 41.7% of the respondents. Additionally, over half of the participants expressed concerns regarding harmful/incorrect medical decisions, low credibility of information from, and the medico-legal implications associated with the use of AI models. Conclusion:The results of this study highlight a pivotal moment for Egyptian medical doctors in the adoption of AI technologies. Although there is a solid understanding and favorable attitude toward AI, its practical implementation is still constrained by several obstacles.

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