Charting the Adoption Curve of AI in Gastroenterology

Aims This study investigates the changing public and patient perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in gastroenterology. As AI technology becomes more integrated into healthcare, understanding its acceptance among users, especially in handling patient queries, is crucial. Our analysis highlights the growing positive sentiment towards AI's role in improving gastroenterological care, reflecting its potential to enhance diagnostic and treatment processes. This increasing acceptance suggests a significant shift in how patients view the integration of AI into their healthcare journey.

Methods We utilized Twitter API, PHP, and RAI to gather responses from Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook. Sentiment analysis on tweets was conducted using VADER, and descriptive statistics summarized the data. Independent t-tests compared sentiments, and correlation analysis explored sentiment trends over three years. SPSS was used for data analysis.

Results From December 2017 to November 2022, we recorded 7,651,350 responses, with 3,520,673 from December 2018 to November 2021 and 4,130,677 from January 2022 to April 2024. There was a significant improvement in positive sentiment towards using artificial intelligence for gastrointestinal queries from 2022 to 2024 compared to 2018-2022, with positive responses increasing from 49% to 69% (P=0.022, 95% CI).

Conclusions The marked rise in positive sentiment toward AI in gastroenterology from 2018 to 2024 underscores a pivotal shift in patient and public attitudes. This trend may reflect greater awareness and trust in AI's ability to enhance healthcare outcomes. However, it also raises questions about integrating such technology in clinical settings, potential privacy concerns, and the need for robust AI systems that are accessible and understandable to both practitioners and patients. Further exploring these factors is essential to fully harness AI's capabilities in improving gastroenterological care.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

Authors do not have any conflict of interest to disclose.

Publication History

Article published online:
27 March 2025