JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare systems worldwide and medical schools worldwide have begun integrating AI into their curricula. The healthcare system in Iraq is currently undergoing development and AI has not yet been adopted in clinical practice in Erbil; in addition, no formal AI instruction has been incorporated into the medical education curriculum.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess knowledge levels, attitudes, and perceptions regarding AI among medical students and healthcare professionals in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Methods:

This survey was distributed to medical students and residents in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The survey was adapted from Teng et al, and modified to reflect the local context. Convenience sampling was used. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), Version 26.0. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to test associations between categorical variables. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare mean ranks between groups in the non-normally distributed data. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

A total of 368 participants participated in this study. The majority (85.6%) of participants felt that AI should be taught in schools and universities, and 90.8% reported using AI. ChatGPT was by far the most commonly used AI tool (85.3%). Participants aged 20-24 years (93.2%) and 25-29 years (90.2%) showed the highest prevalence of using AI. Participants that used AI had higher scores for support for AI development in their field (P = 0.001), feelings of hope towards AI in their field (P = 0.004) and thinking that students should learn the basics of AI (P = 0.03). Male participants and those who did not express an interest in starting an independent practice were most likely to use AI (P = 0.045 and P = 0.043, respectively). Participants interested in starting their own independent practice were more likely to think that AI should be taught in schools and universities (P = 0.018). The most common concern regarding AI was loss of jobs (33.0%), followed by overreliance on AI (22.8%). Qualitative findings revealed themes of guarded optimism, and concerns regarding the ethical implications of AI use in medicine.

Conclusions:

Medical students and physicians alike expressed guarded optimism regarding the future of AI in healthcare. In addition, most participants expressed dissatisfaction with their understanding of the ethical implications of AI in healthcare and emphasized the need for formal AI education in healthcare curricula.