Attitudes towards artificial intelligence in emergency medicine

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Artificial Intelligence
• Clinical Decision Support

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being explored for applications in healthcare.
• Understanding clinician perspectives is crucial for successful AI implementation in emergency departments (EDs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the attitudes of Australian and New Zealand emergency clinicians towards the integration of AI in emergency medicine.
• To identify potential benefits, risks, and ethical considerations associated with AI in the ED.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative interview-based study utilizing grounded theory.
• Interviews were conducted with 25 emergency clinicians recruited through various professional channels.
• Transcripts were coded to identify emergent themes regarding AI in emergency medicine.

Main Results:

• Most clinicians expressed optimism (10/25) or mixed feelings (7/25) about AI in the ED, with few pessimistic (2/25).
• Key concerns included skill degradation, algorithmic bias, patient privacy, and liability.
• Clinicians perceived AI as a decision support tool, not a replacement for human judgment, and were not worried about job security.

Conclusions:

• Emergency clinicians in Australia and New Zealand generally hold positive views on AI in emergency medicine.
• Acceptance is contingent on AI functioning as a decision support system with clinician override capabilities.
• The anticipated impact of AI on emergency medicine is expected within the next decade.