JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, in the educational landscape has the potential to enhance the learning experience of medical informatics students and prepare them for using AI in professional settings. The incorporation of AI in classes aims to develop critical thinking by encouraging students to interact with ChatGPT and critically analyze the responses generated by the chatbot. This approach also helps students develop important skills in the field of biomedical and health informatics to enhance their interaction with AI tools.

Objective:

To explore the perceptions of students regarding the use of ChatGPT as a learning tool in their educational context and provide professors with proposals for incorporating ChatGPT into their teaching and learning activities, thereby enhancing the educational experience for students in medical informatics courses.

Methods:

This study employed a mixed-methods approach to gain insights from students regarding the use of ChatGPT in education. A structured questionnaire was administered to assess students' familiarity with ChatGPT, their perceived usefulness of the technology, and their attitudes toward using the application in academic and learning tasks. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques, while thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurring themes and patterns in qualitative responses. The findings were interpreted and discussed in relation to the existing literature on the incorporation of AI in education. The study involved analyzing the learning outcomes of the courses and developing proposals for the integration of ChatGPT in the Master’s Programs in Medicine and Medical Informatics.

Results:

The majority of students expressed contentment with the utilization of ChatGPT in education, finding it beneficial for various purposes, including generating academic content, brainstorming ideas, and rewriting text. While some participants raised concerns about potential biases and the need for informed usage, the overall perception was positive. Additionally, the study proposed integrating ChatGPT into two specific courses: "DECIDES III: Decision, Data and Digital Health" in the Master's Program in Medicine and "Health Information Systems and Electronic Health Records" in the Master's Program in Medical Informatics. The incorporation of ChatGPT was envisioned to enhance student learning experiences and assist in project planning, programming code generation, exam preparation, workflow exploration, and technical interview preparation, thus advancing medical informatics education. In medical teaching, it will be used as an assistant for the simplified explanation of concepts, an assistant for the resolution of complex problems and the generation of clinical narratives and patient simulators.

Conclusions:

The study's valuable insights into medical faculty students' perspectives and integration proposals for ChatGPT serve as an informative guide for professors aiming to enhance medical informatics education. The research delves into the potential of ChatGPT, emphasizes the necessity of collaboration in academic environments, identifies subject areas with discernible benefits, and underscores its transformative role in fostering innovative and engaging learning experiences. The envisaged proposals hold significant promise in empowering future healthcare professionals in the rapidly evolving era of digital health.