Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada
Background The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become pivotal in enhancing medical care and patient outcomes. With the diffusion of innovation in healthcare organizations, EBM can be expected to depend on medical professionals’ competences with digital health (dHealth) and artificial i...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Medical Education Online |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2025.2459910 |
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| author | Gerit Wagner Mickaël Ringeval Louis Raymond Guy Paré |
| author_facet | Gerit Wagner Mickaël Ringeval Louis Raymond Guy Paré |
| author_sort | Gerit Wagner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become pivotal in enhancing medical care and patient outcomes. With the diffusion of innovation in healthcare organizations, EBM can be expected to depend on medical professionals’ competences with digital health (dHealth) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.Objective We aim to investigate the effect of dHealth competences and perceptions of AI on the adoption of EBM among prospective physicians. By focusing on dHealth and AI technologies, the study seeks to inform the redesign of medical curricula to better prepare students for the demands of evidence-based medical practice.Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered online to students at the University of Montreal’s medical school, which has approximately 1,400 enrolled students. The survey included questions on students’ dHealth competences, perceptions of AI, and their practice of EBM. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we analyzed data from 177 respondents to test our research model.Results Our analysis indicates that medical students possess foundational knowledge competences of dHealth technologies and perceive AI to play an important role in the future of medicine. Yet, their experiential competences with dHealth technologies are limited. Our findings reveal that experiential dHealth competences are significantly related to the practice of EBM (β = 0.42, p < 0.001), as well as students’ perceptions of the role of AI in the future of medicine (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), which, in turn, also affect EBM (β = 0.19, p < 0.05).Conclusions The study underscores the necessity of enhancing students’ competences related to dHealth and considering their perceptions of the role of AI in the medical profession. In particular, the low levels of experiential dHealth competences highlight a promising starting point for training future physicians while simultaneously strengthening their practice of EBM. Accordingly, we suggest revising medical curricula to focus on providing students with practical experiences with dHealth and AI technologies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-35862fb791fb42a7bd880bd66ea67dbc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1087-2981 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medical Education Online |
| spelling | doaj-art-35862fb791fb42a7bd880bd66ea67dbc2025-02-01T03:22:00ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMedical Education Online1087-29812025-12-0130110.1080/10872981.2025.2459910Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in CanadaGerit Wagner0Mickaël Ringeval1Louis Raymond2Guy Paré3Faculty Information Systems and Applied Computer Sciences, Otto-Friedrich Universität, Bamberg, DE, GermanyDépartement de technologies de l’information, HEC Montréal, Montréal, CA, CanadaUniversité du Québec à Trois-Rivières, CADépartement de technologies de l’information, HEC Montréal, Montréal, CA, CanadaBackground The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become pivotal in enhancing medical care and patient outcomes. With the diffusion of innovation in healthcare organizations, EBM can be expected to depend on medical professionals’ competences with digital health (dHealth) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.Objective We aim to investigate the effect of dHealth competences and perceptions of AI on the adoption of EBM among prospective physicians. By focusing on dHealth and AI technologies, the study seeks to inform the redesign of medical curricula to better prepare students for the demands of evidence-based medical practice.Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered online to students at the University of Montreal’s medical school, which has approximately 1,400 enrolled students. The survey included questions on students’ dHealth competences, perceptions of AI, and their practice of EBM. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we analyzed data from 177 respondents to test our research model.Results Our analysis indicates that medical students possess foundational knowledge competences of dHealth technologies and perceive AI to play an important role in the future of medicine. Yet, their experiential competences with dHealth technologies are limited. Our findings reveal that experiential dHealth competences are significantly related to the practice of EBM (β = 0.42, p < 0.001), as well as students’ perceptions of the role of AI in the future of medicine (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), which, in turn, also affect EBM (β = 0.19, p < 0.05).Conclusions The study underscores the necessity of enhancing students’ competences related to dHealth and considering their perceptions of the role of AI in the medical profession. In particular, the low levels of experiential dHealth competences highlight a promising starting point for training future physicians while simultaneously strengthening their practice of EBM. Accordingly, we suggest revising medical curricula to focus on providing students with practical experiences with dHealth and AI technologies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2025.2459910Digital healthartificial intelligenceevidence-based medicinemedical studentssurvey |
| spellingShingle | Gerit Wagner Mickaël Ringeval Louis Raymond Guy Paré Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada Medical Education Online Digital health artificial intelligence evidence-based medicine medical students survey |
| title | Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada |
| title_full | Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada |
| title_fullStr | Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada |
| title_short | Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada |
| title_sort | digital health competences and ai beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence based medicine a study of prospective physicians in canada |
| topic | Digital health artificial intelligence evidence-based medicine medical students survey |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2025.2459910 |
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