The Perception and Attitude of the Use of Robotics Among Medical Students, Rehabilitation Students, Including OT and PT Students and Specialists, and Healthcare Faculty Members

ABSTRACT

Background:

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics have gained much attention during the last decade in the medical field, and they will probably affect the practice of the next generation of healthcare providers.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire to assess students’ and faculty’s prior knowledge and perceptions of AI and robotics. It was conducted at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. The sample of the present study includes 374 participants. Data was collected, processed, and statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editors. The level of statistical significance was assumed to be a P value >0.05, which indicates a non-significant difference.

Results:

Most participants were healthcare students (87%) aged 18–24 (84%). Overall, both students and faculty were moderately familiar with AI and robotics in medicine (30.7% and 31.3%, respectively). Both students and faculty wanted to incorporate AI and robotics into their medical curriculum (63.2% and 81.2%, respectively). They saw AI as already present in the field of surgery (37.4% and 45.8%, respectively) and further implemented in the same field prospectively, too (38.3% and 52.1%, respectively). Many participants believed that AI would only be integrated into healthcare and operated by a specialist (79%); however, the majority still favored the physician’s opinion over AI (63%).

Conclusion:

Most healthcare students and faculty recognize the significance of AI and are excited to engage. AI and robotics should be given ample consideration in the education curriculum by enhancing continual training programs for faculty to conduct AI and robotics courses.

INTRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a discipline of computer science that focuses on producing intelligent robots that think and function like humans, whereas robotics is the construction, design, and use of machines to accomplish activities that humans do. It is widely assumed that AI began with the invention of robots.[1] Recently, AI and robotics have spread in several fields, for instance, medicine, engineering, industry, and education. AI and robotics impact various medical disciplines such as cardiology, pathology, orthopedic surgery, neurology, and rehabilitation.[2,3,4] AI can identify patterns that distinguish between disease kinds and aid in selecting more specific treatments that are more effective. Precision medicine, automatic feature measurement in medical imaging, and predictive approaches for characterizing the likely course of a disease are all being actively developed.[5] It can predict how fast a degenerative disease progresses and suggest the ideal consultation frequency for a patient.[6] Moreover, AI and robotics play an important role in rehabilitation centers to improve patients’ functional abilities, independence, and overall well-being with injuries, illnesses, and severe disabilities.[7] The recent changes in Saudi Arabia under the 2030 Vision represent the speed with which AI is being used in healthcare and other services worldwide; in this plan, AI became a priority topic to be explored and integrated into healthcare. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan is to improve patient outcomes and the efficiency of care delivery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Participants and materials

During the 2021/2022 academic year, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah conducted a cross-sectional study involving healthcare students and faculty. The inclusion criteria encompassed medical and rehabilitation students, including occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students, specialists, and healthcare faculty members, while non-health science students and faculty were excluded. The study sample comprised 374 participants, with 87.2% being students and 12.8% being faculty members. A 14-point questionnaire, designed by Sassis L. et al. in 2021,[3] was employed to assess participants’ perceptions of AI and robotics in the medical and rehabilitation fields. The questionnaire included five Likert scale questions evaluating experience and beliefs about AI and robotics, and nine multiple-choice questions addressing the present and future impacts, ethical and legal issues, and advantages and disadvantages of integrating AI and robotics in healthcare and medical education.

Procedure and statistical analysis

The research obtained ethical approval from the Ethical Committee of King Abdulaziz University, ensuring voluntary participation and confidentiality of responses. An online questionnaire, created using Google Forms, was disseminated via social media platforms. The first page contained an informed consent form, which participants read and agreed to before proceeding. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: the first section gathered demographic information through three multiple-choice questions on gender, age, and status as healthcare students or faculty, while the second section comprised fourteen items, including five 5-point Likert scale questions and nine multiple-choice questions. Data were processed and statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor. The Chi–square test assessed variations between qualitative variables, with mean and standard deviation used for parametric data and median and range for non-parametric data. Statistical significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05, while results with P ≥ 0.05 were considered not statistically significant.

RESULTS

In a survey conducted at King Abdulaziz University, 374 participants, including 326 healthcare students (87%) and 48 faculty members, shared their views on AI and robotics in medicine. The majority of healthcare students were between 18 and 24 years old (84%), with a gender distribution of 133 males and 193 females. Among faculty, 27 were males, and 21 were females. The study revealed significant gender differences in faculty trust in AI/robots for medical care, with males generally agreeing and females disagreeing (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant association between gender and faculty familiarity with AI and robotics for other questions (P > 0.05). Among students, females were more familiar with AI/robots than males (P < 0.05). Familiarity with AI significantly influenced students’ decisions to specialize (P < 0.001) and their trust in AI’s diagnostic abilities over humans (P < 0.001) [Table 1]. Both students and faculty supported integrating AI and robotics into the medical curriculum, believing it would positively impact their careers.

Table 1.

Faculty agreement

Question	Faculty Agreement (%)	Students Agreement (%)	P (Male vs. Female)	P (Familiarity)
Trust AI/robots for medical care	31.3	20.2	0.031	<0.001
Familiar with AI/robotics	56.3	59.2	0.342	<0.001
AI’s superior diagnostic ability	24.9	26.6	0.241	<0.001
AI in the medical curriculum	81.2	63.3	0.093	<0.001

Despite varying levels of familiarity, a majority of faculty (60.4%) and students (62.9%) believed AI and robotics should be integrated into current medical practice, with even higher enthusiasm for future integration (faculty: 79.2%, students: 78.8%). Most participants saw AI being used primarily in surgery both now (students: 37.4%, faculty: 45.8%) and in the future (students: 38.3%, faculty: 52.1%) [Table 2]. Regarding legal liability, most students believed the company that created the AI should be responsible for any mistakes, while faculty felt it should be the doctor’s responsibility. Overall, there was a consensus that physicians’ judgments should take precedence over AI in cases of conflict.

Table 2.

Faculty using AI

Field of Medicine	Current AI Use (Faculty)	Current AI Use (Students)	Future AI Use (Faculty)	Future AI Use (Students)
Surgery	45.8%	37.4%	52.1%	38.3%
Internal Medicine	2.1%	1.8%	4.2%	4.3%
Radiology	8.3%	19.9%	8.3%	10.4%

DISCUSSION

The use of AI and robotics in medicine is expected to positively impact medical progress, primarily depending on how familiar the medical team is with AI/robotics and their ability to handle it. Our analysis revealed that most medical students and faculty were moderately familiar with AI and robotics in medicine, with the majority believing that AI and robotics could not replace physicians in the future. This study showed statistically significant trust in AI and robots for medical care among faculty members, with most males agreeing and most females disagreeing. Among students, most were slightly/moderately familiar with the ability of AI to diagnose compared to human doctors. Both students and faculty expressed a desire to incorporate AI and robotics into their medical curriculum, believing it would positively impact their future careers. Interestingly, most participants anticipated that AI and robotics would predominantly be used in surgery. Regarding the legal liability of AI in healthcare, students believed that responsibility should lie with the company that created the AI, while faculty thought it should be the doctor’s responsibility in charge of patient care.[5]

Literature reviews indicated that most studies support the overall concept of robotics, viewing it as a beneficial assistant in healthcare, especially for emergency alarms, health monitoring, physical activity, and memory training. Some studies found that while participants did not currently need or want a robot, they saw potential future usefulness for themselves or older adults. A study confirmed the use and application of robots in surgery, fulfilling conditions of safety, access, efficiency, and efficacy, aligning with our research findings. A study in Saudi Arabia involving 239 medical students showed a positive attitude toward robotic surgery, expecting it to improve surgical outcomes.[6,7,8] Comparatively, our study’s results were similar to previous studies in terms of student and faculty acceptance of AI and robotics.

However, other studies found different results. In our study, females had a higher familiarity with AI and robotics in medicine than males, contrasting with studies from Nicosia and Germany, which indicated higher male interest.[4] Despite the familiarity, students and faculty were enthusiastic about working in AI-integrated disciplines. Conversely, a UK study found that medical students hesitated to choose radiology due to concerns about AI replacing them. Similarly, US and Canadian studies reported students’ apprehensions about AI’s impact on their future roles. Interestingly, UK students believed AI could replace some specialties, while our study’s participants thought AI and robotics would be integrated into medical care and supervised by specialists. A systematic review found that AI’s diagnostic ability was comparable to or better than that of less experienced physicians.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings, most healthcare students and faculty were moderately aware of AI and robotics in medicine, but they recognize the significance of AI and are excited to engage. Furthermore, they believe that AI will play an important role in medicine, specifically surgery.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

Nil.