THE STUDY OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND REGULATORY ASPECTS OF THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MEDICINE AMONG STUDENTS OF IVANO-FRANKIVSK NATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a significant impact on all areas of our lives, and its integration into various fields of science and medicine in particular is only increasing every day, contributing to the improvement of diagnostics and clinical decision-making, but also into its educational component. However, along with its numerous advantages, AI brings with it many challenges related to accuracy, ethics, and data security. To study the attitude of students at Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University to the ethical, legal, and regulatory aspects of AI use in medicine, the results of a survey of sixth-year students studying “Medicine” were analyzed. It was found that all respondents had experience using AI-based programs and used them constantly or periodically and the average time of use was 1-5 hours per week. Respondents from both faculties used these programs for learning, most often to find explanation or search for additional materials. Students from both faculties assessed the impact of AI on the healthcare system as neutral or positive: it will make medicine more accessible and will not affect the cost of medical services or will reduce it. At the same time, a third of foreign students believed that the cost of services would increase. This contrast in views can be explained by differences in experience and varied perceptions of the healthcare system: Ukrainian students apparently perceive AI as an optimization tool that does not require additional costs for the patient, while foreign students may associate technological innovations with commercialization and a potential increase in the cost of services. Ukrainian students did not expect the use of AI to affect the relationship between doctors and patients. Instead, almost half of foreign students believed that the use of AI technologies would improve such relationships, while another third was convinced that it would worsen them. The respondents agreed that the accuracy of diagnoses made with the help of AI cannot be fully trusted, and that the final decision should always remain with the doctor. The vast majority of students from both faculties agreed that patients have the right to refuse the use of AI-based diagnostic or treatment methods. Respondents are not ready to entrust their medical data to artificial intelligence. An even greater number believe that AI should not disclose such information to either insurance or pharmaceutical companies. The main danger that students saw was the vulnerability of AI-based software to potential cyber threats. Significantly fewer respondents believed that such software could be secured, slightly more often among local students than among students of the foreign citizens training faculty. Respondents were more likely to see the use of AI as a source of new risks than as a tool for reducing medical errors. Students were unanimous in their opinion that the use of AI in medicine should be strictly regulated, and that the treatment methods developed by it should be subject to rigorous testing. We believe that changes are needed in approaches to curriculum development that include the use of AI and highlight the direct and indirect impact of these tools on the medical context. Further studies are needed to explore effective methods of combining digital technologies with the development of communication skills and emotional intelligence in future healthcare professionals.

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