Understanding Children and Youths’ views of Artificial Intelligence in Paediatric Healthcare.

Abstract

Objectives: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing medical practice. Given patients are the intended beneficiaries of health AI, understanding the views of patients and families is essential to AI being adopted and accepted into healthcare settings, as well as ensuring implementation is done so ethically. While studies have focussed on adult perspectives of health AI, none have yet examined the views of children and youth. This study therefore explored how children and youth view the use of AI, with particular focus on ethical concerns regarding clinical decision-making, accountability, and preservation of patient choice. Methods: In this qualitative study, children and youth were recruited from April to August 2022, through the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia. Three vignettes that sought participants views on hypothetical situations around potential AI applications were used and presented in semi-structured interviews. Results: Participants (N = 6) demonstrated mixed but mostly positive views of AI in healthcare. There was general support for AI tools to support clinicians in decision-making, but most emphasised the need for human oversight. Accepting AI into healthcare was also contingent on patient choice, with unanimous agreement that patients under the age of 18 had the right to choose if AI comprised part of their healthcare. There were mixed views around accountability of mistakes but general enthusiasm for engaging in health AI research and trialling novel AI programs. Conclusions: Overall, this research identified critical areas for regulators to ensure perspectives of children and youth are included in implementation plans of health AI. Keywords: Children and youth, artificial intelligence, patient perspectives, medical ethics