Perceptions and attitudes toward artificial intelligence among frontline physicians and physicians' assistants in Kansas: a cross-sectional survey.

Objective: This survey aims to understand frontline healthcare professionals' perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and assess how AI familiarity influences these perceptions.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a survey from February to March 2023 of physicians and physician assistants registered with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. Participants rated their perceptions toward AI-related domains and constructs on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating stronger agreement. Two sub-groups were created for analysis to assess the impact of participants' familiarity and experience with AI on the survey results.

Results: From 532 respondents, key concerns were Perceived Communication Barriers (median = 4.0, IQR = 2.8-4.8), Unregulated Standards (median = 4.0, IQR = 3.6-4.8), and Liability Issues (median = 4.0, IQR = 3.5-4.8). Lower levels of agreement were noted for Trust in AI Mechanisms (median = 3.0, IQR = 2.2-3.4), Perceived Risks of AI (median = 3.2, IQR = 2.6-4.0), and Privacy Concerns (median = 3.3, IQR = 2.3-4.0). Positive correlations existed between Intention to use AI and Perceived Benefits ( = 0.825) and Trust in AI Mechanisms ( = 0.777). Perceived risk negatively correlated with Intention to Use AI ( = -0.718). There was no difference in perceptions between AI experienced and AI naïve subgroups.

Discussion: The findings suggest that perceptions of benefits, trust, risks, communication barriers, regulation, and liability issues influence healthcare professionals' intention to use AI, regardless of their AI familiarity.

Conclusion: The study highlights key factors affecting AI adoption in healthcare from the frontline healthcare professionals' perspective. These insights can guide strategies for successful AI implementation in healthcare.