Many women unclear about AI's role in imaging, which could be hindering acceptance
Although most women are on board with artificial intelligence playing a role in assessing their breast imaging, many are hesitant due to a lack of understanding in how it will affect their care.
New survey data detail the opinions women have regarding AI use across multiple breast imaging modalities. While the respondents’ sentiments highlight general optimism and acceptance of the technology, their answers also reveal several concerns.
Experts shared their findings recently in Clinical Imaging. They emphasized that their results stand out from those derived from prior studies due to the diverse population included in their analysis, which included patients undergoing not just routine screening, but also diagnostic imaging (DBT, ultrasound, MRI) and biopsies as well.
“Amid the trend towards patient-centric care in radiology, efforts to evaluate patient preferences and perceptions of their healthcare experience include efforts to understand their views of AI,” Sarah Ameri, MD, with the Department of Radiology at Mount Sinai West, New York, and colleagues noted. “In general, patient attitudes towards AI in radiology are mixed. A recent multicenter survey in the setting of prostate MRI found that most patients supported the use of AI in their diagnostic evaluation. However, patient concerns over lack of privacy, loss of empathy, bias and accuracy have also been reported.”
The group distributed questionnaires to women who presented for imaging or biopsies within the breast radiology department at six facilities within an urban hospital system between September 2023 and March 2024. A total of 130 women participated in the survey, which contained 21 questions related to patient demographics, reason for visit and attitudes toward AI use in breast imaging interpretation.
Regardless of participants’ age, sex, education level, race and subjective understanding of AI, nearly half (48%) supported the use of AI in breast radiology. Though the majority (70%) of respondents had heard of AI being used on some level in breast imaging settings, there was a disconnect between this and their understanding of the exact role AI plays in said environments; just under 70% indicated they would feel more comfortable with its use if they had a better understanding of how it was being implemented.
Additional concerns centered on the patient-doctor relationship, with 43% citing worry they might lose direct communication with their provider; costs—just 16% would accept AI being utilized in their care if it increased their out-of-pocket expenses—and AI taking the lead on their care, as over half (60%) indicated they supported its use as a second reader only.
“Our results suggest that, given the choice, most patients in our population would still opt for a double physician read. Distrust of machine learning despite evidence in support of its accuracy is a known barrier to patient acceptance of AI,” the group explained. “Our results are consistent with the phenomenon termed the ‘mere exposure effect’ whereby individuals express more positive attitudes towards objects or ideas that are more often encountered in their physical or social environments.”
The best solution for improving patient trust, the group suggested, is increasing their general awareness of AI’s utility by explaining to patients exactly how it will be used and how it could affect their diagnosis and treatment.
Read more about the group’s findings here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.