Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hospital Settings in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Background Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare globally by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, predicting patient outcomes, and enabling personalized treatment plans. However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Pakistan, the integration of AI into healthcare is limited due to challenges such as lack of funding, provider resistance, and inadequate training. Despite these barriers, there is growing interest among healthcare providers in understanding and adopting AI technologies to improve professional efficiency. Objective To determine knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) among doctors in a hospital setting. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted at Mardan Medical Complex, Mardan, from January 2023 to March 2023. A total of 150 doctors from various departments participated by completing a validated questionnaire designed to assess their KAP regarding AI. The questionnaire, consisting of nine close-ended questions, was specifically designed and distributed to participants through social media applications, including WhatsApp (California, USA) and email, to maximize accessibility. It included structured questions rated on Likert scales to quantify the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice. Participants were also asked about their exposure to AI-related training or professional work. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the frequency and percentage of responses. Results The mean ± SD of age in this study was 36.95 ± 8.58 years. Male participants were 72.66%, while 27.33% were females. The response to the questions showed that the majority of participants (66%) knew the term AI; however, they were unsure regarding its use in healthcare. The majority of doctors (67.33%) had positive thoughts about the possibility of using AI in health management. Importantly, the majority of participants (72.66%) had never had a chance to do any AI-related work in their professional lives. The assessment of KAP showed that the majority of doctors had a medium level of knowledge (36.66%), a high level of attitude (57.55%), and a low level of practice (65.66%) regarding AI. Conclusions These results conclude that the knowledge regarding AI's use in healthcare is medium and its use in clinical practice is low; however, doctors have a high level of interest in applying AI to improve their professional efficiency.

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