Community pharmacists awareness, perceptions, and opinions of artificial intelligence: A cross-sectional study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Healthcare professionals' perspectives on artificial intelligence in patient care: a systematic review of hindering and facilitating factors on different levels

BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications present opportunities to enhance the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of various diseases. To successfully integrate and utilize AI in healthcare, it is crucial to understand the perspectives of healthcare professionals and to address challenges they associate with AI adoption at an early stage. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of empirical studies that explore healthcare professionals' perspectives on AI in healthcare.

METHODS

The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched in the timeline of 2017 to 2024 using terms related to 'healthcare professionals', 'artificial intelligence', and 'perspectives'. Eligible were peer-reviewed articles that employed quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches. Extracted facilitating and hindering factors were analysed according to the dimensions of the socio-ecological model.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 4,499 articles published up to February 2024. After title abstract screening, 150 full-texts were assessed for eligibility, and 72 studies were ultimately included in our synthesis. The extracted perspectives on AI were thematically analyzed using the socioecological model in order to identify various levels of influence and to categorize them into facilitating and hindering factors. In total, we identified 49 facilitating and 43 hindering factors across all levels of the socioecological model.  CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this review can serve as a foundation for developing guidelines for AI implementation adressing various stakeholders, from healthcare professionals to policymakers. Future research should focus on the empirical adoption of AI applications and, if possible, further examine the hindering factors associated with different types of AI.

Public perceptions and attitudes of drive-through pharmacy services: Insights from a cross-sectional survey in Saudi Arabia

Disease-related fatalities in Saudi Arabia (SA) are on the rise, with 28% of all deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases, followed by cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disorders. In response to this issue, pharmacy dispensing practices have been significantly altered. One such innovative approach is the drive-through pharmacy service. This study aimed to assess the public perceptions and attitudes of drive-through pharmacy services living in Riyadh, SA. A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted between October 2023 and December 2023 among adults living in Riyadh, SA to assess their perceptions and attitudes toward drive-through dispensing practice. A 19-item questionnaire, divided into 4 sections, was used to achieve the objectives. The first section focused on demographics and personal information. The second section included 3 questions about awareness, the population most benefited, and support. The final section assessed attitudes (5 items) of individuals toward drive-through pharmacy services. A response rate of 79.6% (n = 398) was achieved. A significantly high percentage of respondents, 86.2% (n = 343), reported being aware of drive-through pharmacy. Furthermore, 73.1% of them indicated that drive-through service benefits all populations, with 66.1% (n = 263) actually using the drive-through pharmacy service. In addition, 68.1% (n = 271) of individuals had positive perceptions. Positive perceptions were found to be higher among young adults aged 26 to 35 years compared with other age groups (P = .0001), among married individuals compared with unmarried individuals and others (P = .0001), as well as among housewives (P = .030). The results of the Student t test showed that males had a higher mean overall perception of drive-through pharmacy services (9.33) than females (9.26). Similarly, the analysis of variance analysis showed that individuals aged ≥46 years had a higher perception score (12.53) than other age groups. Furthermore, individuals with children had a lower perception (8.94) compared with those without children, indicating a statistically significant difference in mean perceptions of drive-through pharmacy based on gender (P = .002), age (P = .006), employment (P = .081), and presence of children (P = .001). Most respondents were aware of the drive-through pharmacy services and agreed that they would benefit the nation's entire population. The majority of individuals also supported the expansion of drive-through pharmacy services.

Understanding of Health literacy among Healthcare students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Health literacy is the cognitive and social abilities that influence a person's motivation and capacity to learn, comprehend, and use information to improve and maintain good health. We aimed to investigate Healthcare Students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Health Literacy in the Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This study used prevalidated electronic questionnaires among healthcare undergraduates from colleges affiliated with Saudi University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December to April 2024. Healthcare students were asked to answer a self-designed online questionnaire sent to them through social media platforms.

RESULTS

The response rate was 560 out of 600 (93.3%); 293 of the 560 students (52.3%) were aged between 23 and 24 years (mean age was 21.29 SD = 1.852). The mean GPA among the students was 4.31(± 0.682). The average overall score for health literacy among healthcare students was 100.92 ± 11.80. The mean scores for knowledge were 24.17 ± 4.67, attitudes were 38.65 ± 4.20, and practice in health literacy was 38.09 ± 5.09. Among all healthcare students, 50.2% reported good knowledge, 54.1% had good attitudes, and 50.1% exhibited good practices in health literacy. However, students' knowledge (p = 0.019) and training (p = 0.024) in health literacy were significantly associated with smoking cigarettes. Additionally, smoking shisha was significantly associated with students' knowledge (p = 0.022), attitudes (p = 0.001), and practices (p = 0.001) in health literacy.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights that half of the healthcare students reported limited knowledge, attitude, and practice in health literacy. Age, gender, and course of study did not show significant differences. Rather, students who did not smoke cigarettes or shisha were found to have higher knowledge, attitudes, and practice in health literacy compared to smokers. However, to improve health literacy, additional education and increased awareness are needed. Further investigation is warranted to address the factors related to poor health literacy.

Evaluation of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Clinical Practice of Radiology in Saudi Arabia

Background

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming integral to the health sector, particularly radiology, because it enhances diagnostic accuracy and optimizes patient care. This study aims to assess the awareness and acceptance of AI among radiology professionals in Saudi Arabia, identifying the educational and training needs to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance AI-related competencies.

Methods

This cross-sectional observational study surveyed radiology professionals across various hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited through multiple channels, including direct invitations, emails, social media, and professional societies. The survey comprised four sections: demographic details, perceptions of AI, knowledge about AI, and willingness to adopt AI in clinical practice.

Results

Out of 374 radiology professionals surveyed, 45.2% acknowledged AI's significant impact on their field. Approximately 44% showed enthusiasm for AI adoption. However, 58.6% reported limited AI knowledge and inadequate training, with 43.6% identifying skill development and the complexity of AI educational programs as major barriers to implementation.

Conclusion

While radiology professionals in Saudi Arabia are generally positive about integrating AI into clinical practice, significant gaps in knowledge and training need to be addressed. Tailored educational programs are essential to fully leverage AI's potential in improving medical imaging practices and patient care outcomes.

Assessment of Saudi Public Perceptions and Opinions towards Artificial Intelligence in Health Care

Background and Objectives: The healthcare system in Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly with the utilization of advanced technologies. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the Saudi public perceptions and opinions towards artificial intelligence (AI) in health care. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional web-based questionnaire study was conducted between January and April 2024. Data were analyzed from 830 participants. The perceptions of the public towards AI were assessed using 21-item questionnaires. Results: Among the respondents, 69.4% were males and 46% of them were aged above 41 years old. A total of 84.1% of the participants knew about AI, while 61.1% of them believed that AI is a tool that helps healthcare professionals, and 12.5% of them thought that AI may replace the physician, pharmacist, or nurse in the healthcare system. With regard to opinion on the widespread use of AI, 45.8% of the study population believed that healthcare professionals will be improved with the widespread use of artificial intelligence. The mean perception score of AI among males was 38.4 (SD = 6.1) and this was found to be higher than for females at 37.7 (SD = 5.3); however, no significant difference was observed (p = 0.072). Similarly, the mean perception score was higher among young adults aged between 20 and 25 years at 38.9 (SD = 6.1) compared to other age groups, but indicating no significant association between them (p = 0.198). Conclusions: The results showed that the Saudi public had a favorable opinion and perceptions of AI in health care. This suggests that health management recommendations should be made regarding how to successfully integrate and use medical AI while maintaining patient safety.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Toward Artificial Intelligence Among Healthcare Workers in Private Polyclinics in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Purpose

The objective of our study was to assess awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding artificial intelligence (AI) among healthcare workers in private polyclinics in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

We conducted cross-sectional study among healthcare workers in private clinics in Jeddah. Data was collected using a structured, validated questionnaire in Arabic and English on awareness, attitudes, and behaviors regarding AI. Cronbach's alpha for the questionnaire ranged from 0.6 to 0.8. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was done to assess the scores and their association of various sociodemographic variables with awareness, attitudes, and behaviors regarding AI. Multiple linear regression was performed to predict the scores of awareness, attitudes, and behaviors based on the sociodemographic variables.

Results

We recruited 361 participants for this study. Approximately, 62% of the healthcare workers were female. The majority (36%) of healthcare workers were nurses, while 25% were physicians. The median awareness, attitude, and behavioral scores were 5/6 (IQR 3-6), 5/8 (IQR 4-7), and 0/3 (IQR 0), respectively. Approximately three-fourths (74%) of the healthcare workers believed that they understood the basic computational principles of AI. Only half of the participants were willing to use AI when making future medical decisions. We found that male healthcare workers had better knowledge scores regarding AI as compared to female healthcare workers (Beta = 0.555, 95%, p value = 0.010), while for attitude scores, being administrative employee as compared to other employees was found to have negative attitude towards AI (Beta = 0.049, 95%, p value = 0.03).

Conclusion

We found that healthcare workers had an overall good awareness and optimistic attitude toward AI. Despite this, the majority is worried about the potential consequences of replacing their jobs with AI in the future. There is a dire need to educate and sensitize healthcare workers regarding the potential impact of AI on healthcare.

Navigating the Knowledge of Risk Factors, Warning Signs, of Stroke - A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Saudi Adults in Riyadh Saudi Arabia

Background

The incidence of stroke is increasing in everyday life as a result of modifiable cerebrovascular risk factors and aging. Therefore, the goal of this study was to assess knowledge of the risk factors, and warning signs, of stroke and to determine associated demographic factors among individuals living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods and Materials

A cross-sectional online study using a convenience sampling of general population living in Riyadh was carried out over three months in 2023 using a series of questionnaires that was adopted from the previous study. Before data collection, the study tool was subjected to pilot testing among a small sample of individuals to validate for consistency and reliability. The data was collected using social media platforms. A statistical package for the social science (SPSS version 27) was used.

Results

Four hundred and sixty-two individuals completed the survey. Among those 69.5%, identified hypertension as a risk factor for stroke followed by hyperlipidemia (42.9%), heart disease (44.8%). In addition, most of the respondents (n = 332, 71.9%) knew that numbness or weakness of the face and/or limbs of the body was a warning sign of stroke. In this, 73.5% (n=249) of the respondents agreed that if they saw an individual suffering from a stroke, they would like to take the patient to the hospital immediately. However, there was a significant association between the knowledge of the respondents about the risk factor of stroke and educational degree (p=0.011), and parents working in healthcare settings (p =0.015).

Conclusion

In conclusion it was observed that a significant respondents had an adequate knowledge of stroke risk factors, while most were unaware of the early warning signs of a stroke. To promote primary prevention and early management/outcomes, we advise that future regional campaigns focus on raising knowledge and recognition of stroke symptoms.

Knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Its Primary Prevention Practices Among the Saudi Public - A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives

In response to the aging population and rapid rise of chronic diseases, it is important to understand the knowledge about primary prevention. We aim to explore Saudi adults' knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and its primary prevention practices among the Saudi public.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional community-based study, conducted among people living in Saudi Arabia to assess the knowledge of CVD risk factors using a total of 24-item questionnaires divided into two sections using the Likert scale, true /False/I do not know. The data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS v. 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Results

In this study, the 81.8% of participants (n=296) agreed that high blood pressure was a risk factor for CVD, while more than two-thirds (68.8%; n=249) believed that diabetes was a risk factor for CVD. Furthermore, about the same proportion of respondents ((79.8%; n=289) and (78.7%; n=285)) agreed that physical inactivity and smoking were risk factors for CVD. In addition, the vast majority of them (n=324; 89.5%) believed that regular exercise aids in the prevention of CVD. In contrast, 74.9% (n=271) of individuals agreed that quitting smoking helps prevent CVD. This study indicated that 55.8% (n=202) of respondents had strong knowledge of CVD, while 44.2% (n=160) had inadequate awareness of CVD risk factors and prevention methods. In terms of the association between socio-demographic factors and overall participants' knowledge of CVD risk factors and preventative measures, we discovered that age (p=0.000), gender (p=0.011), educational status (p=0.000), and the presence of chronic disease (p=0.000) were all significantly associated with CVD knowledge score levels.

Conclusion

Saudi adults have adequate knowledge of CVD risk factors and prevention interventions, but more effort is needed to raise continuous awareness to reduce the prevalence of CVD.