Parents' Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence-Supported Pediatric Healthcare Services: A Descriptive and...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare Technology
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
• Parental Decision-Making

Background:

• Growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare necessitates understanding parental perspectives on its use in pediatric care.
• Parents significantly influence decisions regarding children's healthcare, making their knowledge, attitudes, and concerns crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess parents' knowledge levels regarding AI in pediatric healthcare services.
• To evaluate parental attitudes towards AI applications in pediatric settings.
• To identify parental concerns associated with AI implementation in child healthcare.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive and correlational study involving 71 parents conducted between November 2024 and January 2025.
• Online data collection using validated questionnaires including the Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale.
• Convenience sampling via web-based messaging applications; data analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (p < 0.05).

Main Results:

• A majority of parents (80.3%) reported insufficient knowledge about AI in healthcare.
• High levels of anxiety were observed, with a mean AI Anxiety Scale score of 113.9 (±30.14).
• Parental attitudes varied: 60.6% opposed AI in hospitals, yet 73.2% favored AI-supported robots for children; anxiety scores correlated with age, education, and trust.

Conclusions:

• Parents possess limited AI knowledge but significant concerns, particularly regarding data security and privacy in pediatric AI applications.
• Cautious attitudes toward AI in hospitals contrast with conditional acceptance of AI tools for children.
• Educational initiatives are vital for promoting safe and ethical AI adoption in pediatric care, though findings require cautious interpretation due to sample limitations.