Endoscopists' attitudes toward and experiences with artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy: a 3-year follow-up...

Artificial intelligence (AI) can improve colonoscopy quality by increasing adenoma detection rates. At Sengkang General Hospital (SKH), Singapore, AI-assisted colonoscopy was introduced in July 2021. An initial survey suggested that attitudes toward AI were shaped more by hands-on experience than by general knowledge of AI. This follow-up survey assessed how these attitudes evolved over time and compared responses from SKH with those from endoscopists at institutions without routine AI use.

An online survey was conducted 3 years after implementation of routine AI-assisted colonoscopy at SKH to evaluate endoscopists' knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors regarding AI. Endoscopists from 7 tertiary institutions in Singapore were invited to participate. The 44-item questionnaire covered 4 thematic domains. Responses were compared with those from SKH's initial survey and across institutions.

A total of 57 endoscopists, including 46 consultants and 11 residents, completed the survey. Most respondents were familiar with AI, but only approximately half understood its underlying mechanisms. Most endoscopists supported early AI training, although agreement was significantly lower at SKH than at other hospitals (62.0% vs. 88.9%, P=0.02). Overall, 91.2% agreed that AI should be used as an adjunct to colonoscopy, and 80.7% agreed that AI can improve the quality of a performed colonoscopy. Enjoyment of AI-assisted colonoscopy was higher at SKH than at other hospitals (85.7% vs. 58.3%, P=0.04).

Endoscopists generally perceived AI as improving colonoscopy quality. Greater colonoscopy experience and more extensive exposure to AI-assisted colonoscopy appeared to be associated with more positive attitudes toward AI and greater acceptance of its potential benefits.