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Understanding, experience and attitudes towards artificial intelligence technologies for clinical decision support in hearing health: a mixed-methods survey of healthcare professionals in the UK

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2024

Babatunde Oremule*
Affiliation:
Paediatric ENT Department, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Gabrielle H Saunders
Affiliation:
Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, School of Health Sciences I Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Karolina Kluk
Affiliation:
Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, School of Health Sciences I Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Alexander d'Elia
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
Iain A Bruce
Affiliation:
Paediatric ENT Department, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
*
Corresponding author: Babatunde Oremule; Email: Babatunde.oremule@manchester.postgrad.ac.uk
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Abstract

Objectives

Clinician acceptance influences technology adoption, but UK health professionals' attitudes towards artificial intelligence (AI) in hearing healthcare are unclear. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap.

Methods

An online survey, based on the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys, was distributed to audiologists, ENT specialists and general practitioners. The survey collected quantitative and qualitative data on demographics and attitudes to AI in hearing healthcare.

Results

Ninety-three participants (mean age 39 years, 56 per cent female) from three professional groups (21 audiologists, 24 ENT specialists and 48 general practitioners) responded. They acknowledged AI's benefits, emphasised the importance of the clinician–patient relationship, and stressed the need for proper training and ethical considerations to ensure successful AI integration in hearing healthcare.

Conclusion

This study provides valuable insights into UK healthcare professionals' attitudes towards AI in hearing health and highlights the need for further research to address specific concerns and uncertainties surrounding AI integration in hearing healthcare.

Information

Type
Main Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED
Figure 0

Figure 1. Sources of knowledge about artificial intelligence. Media and/or social media appear most often.

Figure 1

Figure 2. Attitudes towards AI technologies amongst hearing health professionals. See Table 1 for full question statements.

Figure 2

Table 1. Key to terms used in Figures 2 and 3

Figure 3

Figure 3. Spearman correlation matrix of age and responses to questions. Note: The Spearman correlation coefficient ranges from −1 to 1. A correlation of −1 indicates a perfect negative relationship, 0 indicates no linear relationship and 1 indicates a perfect positive relationship between two variables. The heatmap colour scale indicates the strength and direction of the correlations, where warmer colours (shades of red) represent positive correlations and cooler colours (shades of blue) represent negative correlations. The intensity of the colours reflects the magnitude of the correlation, with darker shades indicating stronger associations. See Table 1 for full question statements.

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