Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study
BackgroundThe growth of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic solutions in healthcare is accompanied by high expectations for improved efficiency and quality of services. However, the use of such technologies can be a source of anxiety for patients whose expectations and experiences wi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1458685/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832585019201159168 |
|---|---|
| author | Paulina Smoła Iwona Młoźniak Monika Wojcieszko Urszula Zwierczyk Mateusz Kobryn Elżbieta Rzepecka Mariusz Duplaga |
| author_facet | Paulina Smoła Iwona Młoźniak Monika Wojcieszko Urszula Zwierczyk Mateusz Kobryn Elżbieta Rzepecka Mariusz Duplaga |
| author_sort | Paulina Smoła |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe growth of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic solutions in healthcare is accompanied by high expectations for improved efficiency and quality of services. However, the use of such technologies can be a source of anxiety for patients whose expectations and experiences with such technology differ from medical staff's. This study assessed attitudes toward AI and robots in delivering health services and performing various tasks in medicine and related fields in Polish society.Methods50 semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with participants of diversified socio-demographic profiles. The interviewees were initially recruited for the interviews in a convenience sample; then, the process was continued using the snowballing technique. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022 program (release 22.7.0). An interpretative approach to qualitative content analysis was applied to the responses to the research questions.ResultsThe analysis of interviews yielded three main themes: positive and negative perceptions of the use of AI and robots in healthcare and ontological concerns about AI, which went beyond objections about the usefulness of the technology. Positive attitudes toward AI and robots were associated with overall higher trust in technology, the need to adequately respond to demographic challenges, and the conviction that AI and robots can lower the workload of medical personnel. Negative attitudes originated from convictions regarding unreliability and the lack of proper technological and political control over AI; an equally important topic was the inability of artificial entities to feel and express emotions. The third theme was that the potential interaction with machines equipped with human-like traits was a source of insecurity.ConclusionsThe study showed that patients' attitudes toward AI and robots in healthcare vary according to their trust in technology, their recognition of urgent problems in healthcare (staff workload, time of diagnosis), and their beliefs regarding the reliability and functioning of new technologies. Emotional concerns about contact with artificial entities looking or performing like humans are also important to respondents' attitudes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2d7ad3ff76b4c5698c20e67c0420beb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-253X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-b2d7ad3ff76b4c5698c20e67c0420beb2025-01-27T06:40:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2025-01-01710.3389/fdgth.2025.14586851458685Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative studyPaulina Smoła0Iwona Młoźniak1Monika Wojcieszko2Urszula Zwierczyk3Mateusz Kobryn4Elżbieta Rzepecka5Mariusz Duplaga6Department of Health Promotion and e-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandDepartment of Health Promotion and e-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandDepartment of Health Promotion and e-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandDepartment of Health Promotion and e-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandDepartment of Health Promotion and e-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandDepartment of Health Promotion and e-Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, PolandBackgroundThe growth of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic solutions in healthcare is accompanied by high expectations for improved efficiency and quality of services. However, the use of such technologies can be a source of anxiety for patients whose expectations and experiences with such technology differ from medical staff's. This study assessed attitudes toward AI and robots in delivering health services and performing various tasks in medicine and related fields in Polish society.Methods50 semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with participants of diversified socio-demographic profiles. The interviewees were initially recruited for the interviews in a convenience sample; then, the process was continued using the snowballing technique. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022 program (release 22.7.0). An interpretative approach to qualitative content analysis was applied to the responses to the research questions.ResultsThe analysis of interviews yielded three main themes: positive and negative perceptions of the use of AI and robots in healthcare and ontological concerns about AI, which went beyond objections about the usefulness of the technology. Positive attitudes toward AI and robots were associated with overall higher trust in technology, the need to adequately respond to demographic challenges, and the conviction that AI and robots can lower the workload of medical personnel. Negative attitudes originated from convictions regarding unreliability and the lack of proper technological and political control over AI; an equally important topic was the inability of artificial entities to feel and express emotions. The third theme was that the potential interaction with machines equipped with human-like traits was a source of insecurity.ConclusionsThe study showed that patients' attitudes toward AI and robots in healthcare vary according to their trust in technology, their recognition of urgent problems in healthcare (staff workload, time of diagnosis), and their beliefs regarding the reliability and functioning of new technologies. Emotional concerns about contact with artificial entities looking or performing like humans are also important to respondents' attitudes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1458685/fullartificial intelligencerobotshealth 4.0in-depth interviewsqualitative content analysis |
| spellingShingle | Paulina Smoła Iwona Młoźniak Monika Wojcieszko Urszula Zwierczyk Mateusz Kobryn Elżbieta Rzepecka Mariusz Duplaga Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study Frontiers in Digital Health artificial intelligence robots health 4.0 in-depth interviews qualitative content analysis |
| title | Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | attitudes toward artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare in the general population a qualitative study |
| topic | artificial intelligence robots health 4.0 in-depth interviews qualitative content analysis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1458685/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulinasmoła attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy AT iwonamłozniak attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy AT monikawojcieszko attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy AT urszulazwierczyk attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy AT mateuszkobryn attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy AT elzbietarzepecka attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy AT mariuszduplaga attitudestowardartificialintelligenceandrobotsinhealthcareinthegeneralpopulationaqualitativestudy |