Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: A Study of Healthcare Workers in Medical Institutions in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

A total of 200 health care workers (32 medical doctor, 77 nurses, 46 allied health e.g., physiotherapy etc., 30 administrative officers, and 15 others hospital officers). Outcomes revealed that healthcare workers generally have a strong awareness of AI technologies, with a majority believing in their potential to improve healthcare delivery with different standard deviation indicating variation in opinion (σ=0.71867, σ=1.18142, σ=0.83237, σ=0.83237.). Healthcare workers generally have a positive perception of AI's potential to improve patient care and healthcare delivery also with (σ=0.71867, σ=1.18142, σ=0.83237, σ=0.83237.). Healthcare workers express caution due to notable barriers, including the high financial costs of implementation, ethical concerns, resistance to change, and fears of job displacement. Finally, most healthcare workers are either supportive or neutral toward AI integration in medical practices, with a small group expressing reservations with (x= 4.1750, σ = 1.02451) indicating moderate variable. Overall, healthcare workers exhibited a positive outlook regarding the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance patient care and healthcare delivery. Nevertheless, the findings revealed notable gaps in the direct application of AI, divergent opinions on training requirements, and varying assessments of organizational preparedness. These results underscore the critical need for targeted education, robust capacity-building initiatives, and strategically planned implementation to facilitate the effective integration of AI technologies within the healthcare sector.