Research shows that more than 60% of adults want to be notified, and preferences vary by age, gender, race, and education.
In a recent article published in JAMA Network Open, researchers investigated the American public's perceptions and attitudes toward the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
Their findings show that the majority of respondents want to be informed about the use of AI in the health services they access.
background
Patient notification is an important part of research and clinical ethics. This is the basis of informed consent and data privacy laws. Applications of AI are rapidly increasing across industries, including the medical field.
While AI ethics policy frameworks and experts emphasize the need for transparency through notification for the appropriate use of AI tools, health systems do not have standardized policies or recommendations for how to notify patients. There are no items.
Public expectations in this regard are also not well understood. Research in this area can help health systems and policy makers set priorities and strengthen notification processes.
About research
In 2023, researchers conducted a survey to understand the American public's attitudes toward healthcare-related AI applications. The survey included a video explaining the use of AI in this field and using scenario-based questions to elicit perspectives. The researchers validated the study through stakeholder feedback and cognitive interviews.
Although the study was conducted through a representative panel of U.S. residents, the researchers oversampled Hispanic and black participants to ensure accurate group comparisons. Ethical guidelines were followed throughout the process and informed consent was obtained from participants.
Participants were asked how important it was to them to be informed about the use of AI in the health services they access. Possible responses ranged from a score of 4, “very true” to a score of 1, “not at all true.” The researchers weighted these responses by demographic information such as education, ethnicity, race, age, and gender.
Survey results
The study included 2,021 adults, with a mean weighted response of 3.39 out of 4, indicating general agreement that it is important for them to be informed about the use of AI in healthcare. . Overall, a majority of respondents, nearly 63%, said being notified is very important to them, while less than 5% did not think it was important.
We found that women responded with an average score of 3.45 and rated the importance of notifications higher than men, who had an average score of 3.32. Older adults, especially those over 60, expressed the strongest desire for notifications, rating the importance of notifications at 3.57. Conversely, young adults aged 18 to 29 were least concerned, with an average score of 3.14. This difference was statistically significant.
Based on ethnicity and race, non-Hispanic whites rated the importance of notifications the highest, with a mean score of 3.46. Meanwhile, Hispanics reported a score of 3.28, Blacks 3.21, and other groups 3.21. 3.33. Differences between groups were statistically significant.
When the researchers compared groups based on educational background, respondents with graduate education and a bachelor's degree expressed the highest concern, rating the importance of notifications at about 3.5. However, those with less than a high school education ranked lowest with a score of 3.14. Differences between education levels were statistically significant.
conclusion
Previous research found that people slightly preferred to be informed about the use of their health information (mean score: 3.15) rather than biological specimens (3.13). The survey found that they prefer more notifications about the use of AI in healthcare.
Although the findings of this study are limited by their cross-sectional nature, they highlight the need for transparent AI practices. Policy makers and healthcare organizations should consider informing the public about AI, focusing not just on whether to notify patients, but when and how.
Demographic differences highlight ethical considerations. Women tended to value notifications more than men, and white respondents valued notifications more than black respondents. This suggests that while notification is important, historical inequalities also need to be addressed.
A collaborative approach involving experts, the public, and patients is essential to building a transparent and trustworthy health system. Multiple strategies for AI notification ensure ethical implementation and build public trust in healthcare AI systems.
