The Role of Socio-Demographic Characteristics in Physicians’ Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to determine the role of demographic characteristics in physicians’ attitudes toward the general applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and their attitudes toward the applications of AI in medicine.

Method: The descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study consists of data collected from 265 physicians working at a tertiary education and research hospital using stratified sampling. The data collection tools included demographic characteristics, a general AI attitude scale, and an attitude scale toward AI applications in medicine.

Results: The findings show that physicians generally have a positive attitude toward AI, but male physicians have a more positive attitude than female physicians. Negative attitudes were found to be higher among physicians working in surgical clinics. Furthermore, demographic characteristics such as gender, clinic, and title were found to be significantly associated with physicians’ attitudes toward the general application of AI, while gender and department worked in had a significant association with attitudes toward the application of AI in medicine.

Conclusion: Physicians’ attitudes toward AI were found to differ according to demographic factors. In light of these findings, it is recommended that targeted education programs and policies be developed to increase physicians’ knowledge levels for a more effective integration of AI into the field of medicine. Strategies to raise awareness and address knowledge gaps and concerns are particularly important for female physicians and physicians working in surgical clinics.

Keywords

• Artificial intelligence
• artificial intelligence in medicine
• physician attitude

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee permission for this study was obtained from the Gulhane Education and Research Hospital Education Planning Board and Ethics Committee (Date: 14.11.2024 , Issue no: 2024/69).

Hekimlerin Yapay Zekaya Karşı Tutumlarında Demografik Özelliklerin Rolü

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma, hekimlerin yapay zekânın (YZ) genel uygulamalarına yönelik tutumları ile YZ'nin tıptaki uygulamalarına yönelik tutumlarında demografik özelliklerin rolünü belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Yöntem: Betimleyici, kesitsel ve nicel yaklaşımla yapılan araştırma, üçüncü basamak bir eğitim ve araştırma hastanesinde görevli 265 hekimden tabakalı örneklem yöntemiyle toplanan verilerden oluşmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak demografik özellikler, genel YZ tutum ölçeği ve tıpta YZ uygulamalarına yönelik tutum ölçeği kullanılmıştır.

Bulgular: Bulgular, hekimlerin YZ'ye karşı genel olarak olumlu bir tutum sergilediğini göstermekle birlikte, erkek hekimlerin kadın hekimlere göre daha olumlu tutuma sahip olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Olumsuz tutumlar ise cerrahi klinikte çalışan hekimlerde daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Ayrıca demografik özelliklerden cinsiyet, çalışılan klinik ve unvanın, hekimlerin YZ'nin genel uygulamalarına yönelik tutumları üzerinde, cinsiyet ve çalışılan kliniğin ise YZ’nin tıptaki uygulamalarına yönelik tutumları üzerinde anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermektedir.

Sonuç: Hekimlerin YZ'ye yönelik tutumlarının demografik faktörlere göre farklılaştığı tespit edilmiştir. Bu bulgular ışığında, YZ'nin tıp alanına daha etkili entegrasyonu için hekimlerin bilgi düzeylerini artırmaya yönelik hedeflenmiş eğitim programlarının ve politikaların geliştirilmesi önerilmektedir. Özellikle kadın hekimler ve cerrahi klinik bölümlerde çalışan hekimler için farkındalık, bilgi eksikliklerini ve endişelerini giderecek stratejiler önem taşımaktadır.

Keywords

• Yapay zeka
• tıpta yapay zeka
• hekim tutumu

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma için Gülhane Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Eğitim Planlama Kurulu ve Etik Komitesi'nden onay alınmıştır (Tarih: 14.11.2024, Sayı: 2024/69).

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