Encompassing trust in medical AI from the perspective of medical students: a quantitative comparative study

Background: In the years to come, artificial intelligence will become an indispensable tool in medical practice. The digital transformation will undoubtedly affect today's medical students. This study focuses on trust from the perspective of three groups of medical students - students from Croatia, students from Slovakia, and international students studying in Slovakia.

Methods: A paper-pen survey was conducted using a non-probabilistic convenience sample. In the second half of 2022, 1715 students were surveyed at five faculties in Croatia and three in Slovakia.

Results: Specifically, 38.2% of students indicated familiarity with the concept of AI, while 44.8% believed they would use AI in the future. Patient readiness for the implementation of technologies was mostly assessed as being low. More than half of the students, 59.1%, believe that the implementation of digital technology (AI) will negatively impact the patient-physician relationship and 51,3% of students believe that patients will trust physicians less. The least agreement with the statement was observed among international students, while a higher agreement was expressed by Slovak and Croatian students 40.9% of Croatian students believe that users do not trust the healthcare system, 56.9% of Slovak students agree with this view, while only 17.3% of international students share this opinion. The ability to explain to patients how AI works if they were asked was statistically significantly different for the different student groups, international students expressed the lowest agreement, while the Slovak and Croatian students showed a higher agreement.

Conclusion: This study provides insight into medical students' attitudes from Croatia, Slovakia, and international students regarding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future healthcare system, with a particular emphasis on the concept of trust. A notable difference was observed between the three groups of students, with international students differing from their Croatian and Slovak colleagues. This study also highlights the importance of integrating AI topics into the medical curriculum, taking into account national social & cultural specificities that could negatively impact AI implementation if not carefully addressed.