Patient Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Decision Making: A Multi-Center Comparative Study.

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Artificial Intelligence
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare, including orthopaedics.
• Understanding patient perspectives is crucial for successful AI implementation in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient opinions and comfort levels regarding the use of AI in orthopaedic care.
• To identify demographic and experiential factors influencing patient acceptance of AI in orthopaedics.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 397 orthopaedic patients across urban and rural settings.
• The survey assessed demographics, comfort with AI scenarios, data usage for AI, and perceived impact on care and cost.
• Statistical analyses, including bivariate and multivariable regression, were used to analyze patient perspectives.

Main Results:

• The average patient comfort score with AI in orthopaedics was 6.4 out of 10.
• Factors such as age, gender, education, and prior experience with AI/machine learning significantly influenced comfort levels.
• Patient comfort was associated with the perceived impact of AI on orthopaedic care and the potential for increased healthcare costs.

Conclusions:

• Orthopaedic patients generally exhibit a moderate level of comfort with the integration of AI into their care.
• Factors like gender, survey format, perceived impact on care, and cost concerns significantly shape patient comfort with AI.
• Clearer supervision models are preferred, with patients expressing discomfort with robotic surgery solely under distant physician supervision.