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Parental Perceptions on Use of Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Acute Care
Sriram Ramgopal1, Marie E Heffernan2, Anne Bendelow3
1Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (S Ramgopal, TA Florin, ER Alpern, and ML Macy), Chicago, Ill.
Insights
Parents are generally receptive to artificial intelligence (AI) in pediatric emergency care, but some groups, including Black non-Hispanic and younger parents, express more discomfort with AI tools.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Background:
- Family engagement is crucial for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical decision support.
- AI tools are projected to become increasingly prevalent in future healthcare settings.
- Understanding parental perceptions of AI in pediatric emergency care is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parental perceptions of computer-assisted healthcare for children in the emergency department (ED).
- To identify demographic factors associated with parental discomfort regarding AI in pediatric care.
Main Methods:
- A population-weighted household panel survey was conducted with parents of minor children in a large US city.
- The survey focused on perceptions of computer programs for managing pediatric respiratory illness.
- Survey-weighted logistic regression was used to identify demographic correlates of AI discomfort.
Main Results:
- 1620 parents completed the survey; most were comfortable with AI for determining antibiotic needs, bloodwork, and interpreting radiographs.
- Black non-Hispanic parents and younger parents (18-25 years) reported greater discomfort with AI compared to White non-Hispanic and older parents (≥46 years).
- Key perceived benefits included identifying missed diagnoses and faster diagnosis; primary concerns involved diagnostic errors and incorrect treatment recommendations.
Conclusions:
- Parents generally accept computer-assisted management for pediatric respiratory illnesses in the ED, with some reservations.
- Specific demographic groups, notably Black non-Hispanic and younger parents, showed increased apprehension towards AI.
- Addressing concerns and engaging families are vital for successful AI implementation in pediatric emergency care.
Background:
Family engagement is critical in the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support tools, which will play an increasing role in health care in the future. We sought to understand parental perceptions of computer-assisted health care of children in the emergency department (ED).
Methods:
We conducted a population-weighted household panel survey of parents with minor children in their home in a large US city to evaluate perceptions of the use of computer programs for the care of children with respiratory illness. We identified demographics associated with discomfort with AI using survey-weighted logistic regression.
Results:
Surveys were completed by 1620 parents (panel response rate = 49.7%). Most respondents were comfortable with the use of computer programs to determine the need for antibiotics (77.6%) or bloodwork (76.5%), and to interpret radiographs (77.5%). In multivariable analysis, Black non-Hispanic parents reported greater discomfort with AI relative to White non-Hispanic parents (odds ratio [OR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.70) as did younger parents (18-25 years) relative to parents ≥46 years (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.31-4.67). The greatest perceived benefits of computer programs were finding something a human would miss (64.2%, 95% CI 60.9%-67.4%) and obtaining a more rapid diagnosis (59.6%; 56.2%-62.9%). Areas of greatest concern were diagnostic errors (63.0%, 95% CI 59.6%-66.4%), and recommending incorrect treatment (58.9%, 95% CI 55.5%-62.3%).
Conclusions:
Parents were generally receptive to computer-assisted management of children with respiratory illnesses in the ED, though reservations emerged. Black non-Hispanic and younger parents were more likely to express discomfort about AI.
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