In 2019 I conducted a survey of international physiotherapy clinicians, asking what they thought of the introduction of AI and machine learning into clinical practice. I didn’t do much data analysis in 2020 (because, Covid) but have now completed an initial round of thematic analysis on the responses.
In this presentation at the SAAHE 2021 conference, I present the initial findings from that survey.
View the presentation above, click here to download a PDF of the slides, or see the overview by clicking on the image below.
The background image for each slide is taken from a movie that features a prominent AI character. See if you can guess them all.
Abstract
Introduction: Clinicians will soon find themselves working with information networks on a scale well beyond their capacity to understand, thereby necessitating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse and interpret the data needed for decision-making.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of how physiotherapy clinicians perceive the introduction of AI into practice.
Method: This study used an exploratory design to gather qualitative data from an international sample of physiotherapy clinicians. The self-administered questionnaire was piloted for validity and ambiguity and concluded in December 2019.
Results: There were 58 participants from 28 countries who participated, 53 of whom (91%) were practicing clinicians at the time and 32 of whom (55%) had advanced degrees. Responses were varied with respect to the areas of clinical practice that participants believed were susceptible to automation and they cautioned against an over-reliance on AI. Participants highlighted the important role of clinicians in the implementation and evaluation of AI in practice.
Conclusion: Participants generally had positive perceptions of AI in practice, with the majority suggesting that it would free up time for clinicians to focus on their relationships with patients. However, there were concerns that physiotherapy programmes are not adequately preparing graduates for the coming changes in practice.
Take home message: Most participants believed that the introduction of AI into clinical practice is inevitable but had concerns about the associated challenges. They suggested that educators should do more to prepare graduates for a future in which intelligent machines play a role.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, clinical practice, practice education
Ethics clearance: This project received ethics clearance (registration number: BM19/3/3) from the University of the Western Cape Biomedical Research Ethics Committee.