Artificial Intelligence Anxiety and Patient Safety Attitudes Among Operating Room Professionals: A Descriptive...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare technology adoption
• Surgical operating room innovation
• Medical artificial intelligence integration

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in healthcare, especially in operating rooms (ORs), is increasing.
• Healthcare professionals may experience anxiety regarding AI due to job security, ethics, and reliability concerns.
• Understanding AI anxiety's impact on patient safety attitudes is crucial for successful implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) anxiety and patient safety attitudes among operating room (OR) professionals.
• To identify factors associated with higher AI-related anxiety in surgical staff.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 155 operating room (OR) professionals in Turkey.
• Data were collected using demographic questionnaires, the Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale (AIAS), and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire-Operating Room (SAQ-OR).
• Statistical analyses included t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression.

Main Results:

• The average AIAS score was 3.25 ± 0.8, and the average SAQ score was 43.2 ± 10.5.
• Higher AI anxiety was observed in males and those with postgraduate education.
• No significant correlation was found between AI anxiety and patient safety attitudes (r = -0.064, p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• While AI anxiety did not directly impact patient safety attitudes, a belief in AI's potential correlated with increased openness to change.
• Findings highlight the need for targeted training and policy development to support the confident and safe integration of AI in surgical settings.
• Further research may explore nuanced relationships between AI perception and clinical practice.