Table 2.
Multiple-choice questions about user feelings/forecasts in respect to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in radiological practice in the next 5–10 years
| Question number | Topic | Answers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum number | List | ||
| 1 | Which radiological subspecialties do you foresee will be more influenced by AI in the next 5–10 years? | 3 | Breast; Cardiovascular; Emergency; Gastrointestinal/Abdominal; General; Head & Neck; Interventional; Molecular imaging/Nuclear; Musculoskeletal; Neuroradiology; Oncologic imaging; Paediatric; Thoracic; Urogenital |
| 2 | Which techniques do you foresee will be the most important fields of AI-applications in the next 5–10 years? | 3 | Radiography, Mammography, Ultrasound, Angiography/Fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, PET/Nuclear, Hybrid imaging; DXA; Experimental imaging (animal models); Optical imaging; Other |
| 3 | Which of the following AI applications you think are more relevant as aids to radiological profession? (Up to 3 answers) | 3 | Imaging protocol optimisation; Image post-processing; Detection in asymptomatic subjects (screening); Detection of incidental findings; Lesion characterisation/diagnosis in symptomatic subjects; Staging/restaging in oncology; Support to structured reporting; Quantitative measure of imaging biomarkers; Prognosis; Other |
| 4 | Do you foresee an AI impact on professional radiologist’s life in terms of amount of job positions in the next 5–10 years? | 1 | No; Yes, job positions will be reduced; Yes, job positions will increase |
| 5 | In the next 5–10 years, the use of AI-based applications will make radiologists’ duties | 1 | More technical; More clinical; Unchanged; Other |
| 6 | Do you think that, in the next 5–10 years, the use of AI-based applications will help to report also examinations outside the field of subspecialisation? | 1 | No, radiologists will be more focused on radiology subspecialties; Yes, radiologists will be less focused on radiology subspecialties; The rate of dedication to subspecialties will remain unchanged |
| 7 | Do you foresee an AI impact on professional radiologist’s life in terms of total reporting workload in the next 5–10 years? | 1 | No; Yes, it will increase; Yes, it will be reduced |
| 8 | In the next 5–10 years, who will take the legal responsibility of AI-system output? | 1 | Radiologists; Other physicians (e.g., clinicians asking for the imaging study); Developers of AI applications; Insurance companies; Shared responsibility; Other |
| 9 | In the next 5–10 years, will patients mostly accept a report from AI applications without supervision and approval by a physician? | 1 | Yes; No; Difficult to estimate at present |
| 10 | How will be the relationship between the radiologist and the patient because of AI introduction? | 1 | More impersonal; More interactive; Unchanged |
| 11 | What will be the role of radiologists in developing/validation AI applications to medical imaging? | 2 | None; Provide labelled images; Help in task definition; Develop AI-based applications; Supervise all stages needed to develop an AI-based application |
| 12 | Should radiologists be educated on | 2 | Technical methods, such as machine/deep learning algorithms; Advantages and limitations of AI applications; Clinical use of AI applications; How to get into the driver seat in using AI; How to avoid the use of AI applications; How to survive to AI revolution |
| 13 | If AI will allow to save working/reporting time, should radiologists use the saved time for interacting with | 1 | AI developers (e.g., engineers, computer scientists); Other radiologists; Other clinicians; Patients; Administrators |
| 14 | Are you utilising AI-based products or services in your clinical practice? | 1 | Yes; No, but planning to utilise; No |
| 15 | Are you involved in research projects on AI-based application development? | 1 | Yes, testing; Yes, developing; No, but planning to be involved; No |