Improving Resident Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Prompting for Clinical Use

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Clinical Reasoning

Background:

• The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical practice necessitates evolving medical education for resident trainees.
• Existing curricula often lack robust assessments for AI-related knowledge and ethical considerations.
• A pilot curricular innovation was developed to address these gaps for Internal Medicine residents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To equip Internal Medicine resident trainees with the necessary knowledge and attitudes for the responsible integration of AI tools into patient care.
• To assess the impact of a novel curriculum on residents' understanding of AI in clinical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• A pilot curriculum was implemented during the 2025-2026 academic year for resident physicians.
• The curriculum included didactics on AI prompting, ethical use, and legal considerations, followed by interactive sessions using clinical vignettes.
• Near-peer teaching and situated learning principles were employed to enhance engagement and knowledge acquisition.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in residents' perceived knowledge across all learning objectives was observed (moderate to large effect size).
• Knowledge test scores improved significantly post-intervention (median increase from 6/8 to 7/8, p < 0.001) with a moderate effect size.
• Participant numbers for pre- and post-session surveys were 59/96 (61.5%) and 52/96 (54.2%), respectively.

Conclusions:

• A combined didactic and interactive session effectively improved residents' perceived understanding and knowledge of ethical and legal aspects of clinical AI use.
• The pilot innovation demonstrates a successful approach to training residents in responsible AI integration.
• Further research is recommended to develop clinical assessments for evaluating trainee skills in using AI tools.