Artificial intelligence in (gastrointestinal) healthcare: patients’ and physicians’ perspectives

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 16779
• Main Authors: van der Zander, Quirine E. W., van der Ende - van Loon, Mirjam C. M., Janssen, Janneke M. M., Winkens, Bjorn, van der Sommen, Fons, Masclee, Ad. A. M., Schoon, Erik J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 06.10.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/4020; 692/700; Artificial intelligence; Gastroenterology; Health care; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Patients; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20958-2

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering into daily life and has the potential to play a significant role in healthcare. Aim was to investigate the perspectives (knowledge, experience, and opinion) on AI in healthcare among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, gastroenterologists, and GI-fellows. In this prospective questionnaire study 377 GI-patients, 35 gastroenterologists, and 45 GI-fellows participated. Of GI-patients, 62.5% reported to be familiar with AI and 25.0% of GI-physicians had work-related experience with AI. GI-patients preferred their physicians to use AI (mean 3.9) and GI-physicians were willing to use AI (mean 4.4, on 5-point Likert-scale). More GI-physicians believed in an increase in quality of care (81.3%) than GI-patients (64.9%, χ 2 (2) = 8.2, p  = 0.017). GI-fellows expected AI implementation within 6.0 years, gastroenterologists within 4.2 years (t(76) =  − 2.6, p  = 0.011), and GI-patients within 6.1 years (t(193) =  − 2.0, p  = 0.047). GI-patients and GI-physicians agreed on the most important advantages of AI in healthcare: improving quality of care, time saving, and faster diagnostics and shorter waiting times. The most important disadvantage for GI-patients was the potential loss of personal contact, for GI-physicians this was insufficiently developed IT infrastructures. GI-patients and GI-physicians hold positive perspectives towards AI in healthcare. Patients were significantly more reserved compared to GI-fellows and GI-fellows were more reserved compared to gastroenterologists.