Abstract
Introduction
Despite an awareness of the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI)
in health care, its development in pediatric surgery seems slow. One major reason
may be a lack of formal AI training. This study assesses the basic AI knowledge and
the effectiveness of AI workshops (AI-WS).
Materials and Methods
Four AI-WS were held at the International Academy of Pediatric Surgery 2024. Topics
included AI principles, real-time algorithm training, and potential AI applications
in pediatric surgery. Self-developed surveys consisting of eight pre-WS and nine post-WS
questions were conducted, focusing on participants' AI competencies, usage, educational
needs, barriers, and future perspectives.
Results
Out of 57 pediatric surgeons, 53 completed both surveys. None had formal AI training.
Although 90% were familiar with AI in diagnostic imaging, most had only basic knowledge
of AI technology. After the workshop, participants reported a significant increase
in the general understanding of AI/machine learning (ML) (p < 0.001). 96% stated that they were better informed about AI/ML applications for
clinical practice; 83% expressed interest in further AI training; 91% believed that
AI will be more integrated into clinical practice; and over 80% anticipated that AI
will improve patient outcomes.
Conclusion
The AI-WS effectively enhanced pediatric surgeons' AI knowledge and their readiness
to adopt AI technologies. Even though our study is limited by the relatively low sample
size and a potential selection bias, our results still highlight the importance of
targeted education in preparing health care professionals for AI integration. The
long-term sustainability of knowledge gains, however, has to be examined in further
studies.
Keywords
artificial intelligence - machine learning - competencies - educational needs - pediatric
surgery
