Patient Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery: An International Study

Objective: To investigate the demographic determinants of patient perception toward the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery care. Methods: Outpatients consulting in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery departments of 18 hospitals were surveyed about the perception of the role of AI in health care. The results were analyzed according to the age, gender, patient use of technology, and the level of education. Results: The survey was completed by 1545 patients from Europe and the United States (participation rate: 98.7%). There were 832 (53.9%) females and 669 (43.3%) males. The level of education significantly influences the perception of AI in otolaryngological care with the lowest trust and agreement in patients with the highest education level. The study demonstrated a higher mean overall agreement score for using AI in medicine among daily users of technologies than among others (7.2 ± 1.9 vs 5.6 ± 2.6; P = .001). Females reported more frequent fears about the use of AI in otolaryngology than males. The agreement scores for using AI in medicine significantly decreased with age ( P = .001). Conclusion: The perception of AI use in otolaryngology was influenced by age, gender, level of education, and the use of new technologies in daily life. Further studies promoting the use of AI in Western populations can consider demographics for improving the perception of patients toward AI, and an AI literacy component to determine whether lower trust is due to misunderstanding AI capabilities.