Physicians' Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Mixed Methods Survey and Interview Study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Clinical Decision Support

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential in clinical practice and diagnostics, addressing workforce shortages by aiding decision-making and patient monitoring.
• However, limited integration persists due to concerns regarding usability, ethics, and physician acceptance.
• Understanding physician attitudes is crucial for fostering AI adoption in medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess physicians' attitudes toward the integration and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical practice.
• To identify factors influencing physician acceptance and skepticism regarding AI tools.
• To explore the impact of AI on clinical workflows and the physician-patient relationship.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining a web-based survey (n=498) and qualitative interviews (n=13).
• Survey utilized Likert scales to measure cognitive and affective dimensions of attitudes, with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identifying key attitudinal factors.
• Statistical tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis) analyzed attitude variations based on demographics and AI familiarity; interviews used inductive coding and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• EFA identified two primary factors: AI enthusiasm/acceptance and AI skepticism/apprehension.
• Physicians reported high enthusiasm and lower skepticism, with greater familiarity, professional use, and research involvement strongly correlating with positive attitudes.
• Qualitative analysis revealed six key themes influencing attitudes, including AI dependency, role changes, transparency, and the physician-patient relationship.

Conclusions:

• Physician attitudes toward AI in medicine are predominantly positive, driven by experience and engagement rather than demographics.
• Increased familiarity and professional use of AI tools effectively mitigate concerns and reduce skepticism.
• Targeted educational initiatives, hands-on training, and standardized implementation strategies are essential for enhancing physician engagement and facilitating AI adoption in clinical settings.