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Students' perceptions towards the ethical considerations of using artificial intelligence algorithms in clinical decision-making

British Dental Journal (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

Aim The present study aimed to explore the perceptions of dental students regarding the ethical considerations associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in clinical decision-making.

Methods All the undergraduate clinical-year dental students were invited to take part in the study. A validated online questionnaire which consisted of 21 closed-ended questions (five-point Likert scales) was distributed to the students to evaluate their perceptions on the topic. Mean perception scores of the students from different years were analysed using a one-way ANOVA test, while independent t-tests were used to compare the scores between sexes.

Results In total, 165 students participated in the present study. The mean age of the respondents was 23.3 (± 1.38) years and the majority were female, Chinese students. Respondents showed positive perceptions throughout all three domains. Uniform and comparable perceptions were seen across various academic years and sexes, with female respondents expressing stronger agreement regarding patient consent and privacy prioritisation.

Conclusion Undergraduate clinical dental students generally showed positive perceptions regarding the ethical considerations associated with the integration of AI algorithms in clinical decision-making. It is essential to address these ethical considerations to ensure that AI benefits patient outcomes while upholding fundamental ethical principles and patient-centred care.

Key points

  • The findings highlighted that dental students generally have positive perceptions regarding the ethical considerations of using AI algorithms in clinical decision-making.

  • Female respondents showed stronger agreement regarding patient consent and privacy prioritisation, while slightly higher overall scores were noted among final-year dental students.

  • The study suggested the need for dental educators to integrate lessons about patient rights and ethics into the curriculum to ensure future practitioners are well-prepared for responsible and ethical AI integration in dentistry.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the participants who contributed in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Restorative Dentistry, Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200, Pahang, Malaysia

    Galvin Sim Siang Lin

  2. Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, AIMST University, 08100, Kedah, Malaysia

    Wen Wu Tan & Hasnah Hashim

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  1. Galvin Sim Siang Lin
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Contributions

Galvin Sim Siang Lin contributed to study design, data collection, research administration, and drafting the article; Wen Wu Tan contributed to data collection, data validation, and drafting the article; Hasnah Hashim contributed to data analysis and review the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Galvin Sim Siang Lin.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

The study was approved by the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University Human Ethic Committee (AUHEC) with the approval number: AUHEC/FOD/07/20/04/2023. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. The study protocol conforms to the ethical guidelines of the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki. All subjects' rights were protected and all data was kept confidential.

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All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

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Lin, G., Tan, W. & Hashim, H. Students' perceptions towards the ethical considerations of using artificial intelligence algorithms in clinical decision-making. Br Dent J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7184-3

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