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Artificial intelligence: radiologists’ expectations and opinions gleaned from a nationwide online survey

La radiologia medica volume 126, pages 63–71 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To report the results of a nationwide online survey on artificial intelligence (AI) among radiologist members of the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM).

Methods and materials

All members were invited to the survey as an initiative by the Imaging Informatics Chapter of SIRM. The survey consisted of 13 questions about the participants’ demographic information, perceived advantages and issues related to AI implementation in radiological practice, and their overall opinion about AI.

Results

In total, 1032 radiologists (equaling 9.5% of active SIRM members for the year 2019) joined the survey. Perceived AI advantages included a lower diagnostic error rate (750/1027, 73.0%) and optimization of radiologists’ work (697/1027, 67.9%). The risk of a poorer professional reputation of radiologists compared with non-radiologists (617/1024, 60.3%), and increased costs and workload due to AI system maintenance and data analysis (399/1024, 39.0%) were seen as potential issues. Most radiologists stated that specific policies should regulate the use of AI (933/1032, 90.4%) and were not afraid of losing their job due to it (917/1032, 88.9%). Overall, 77.0% of respondents (794/1032) were favorable to the adoption of AI, whereas 18.0% (186/1032) were uncertain and 5.0% (52/1032) were unfavorable.

Conclusions

Radiologists had a mostly positive attitude toward the implementation of AI in their working practice. They were not concerned that AI will replace them, but rather that it might diminish their professional reputation.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Specialized, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine (DIMES), S. Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Francesca Coppola & Rita Golfieri

  2. Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Lorenzo Faggioni & Emanuele Neri

  3. Department of Radiology, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy

    Daniele Regge

  4. Radiology Department, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Andrea Giovagnoni

  5. SNR Foundation, Rome, Italy

    Corrado Bibbolino

  6. Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy

    Vittorio Miele

  7. Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania, Naples, Italy

    Roberto Grassi

Authors
  1. Francesca Coppola
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  2. Lorenzo Faggioni
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  3. Daniele Regge
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  4. Andrea Giovagnoni
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  5. Rita Golfieri
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  6. Corrado Bibbolino
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  8. Emanuele Neri
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  9. Roberto Grassi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorenzo Faggioni.

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Coppola, F., Faggioni, L., Regge, D. et al. Artificial intelligence: radiologists’ expectations and opinions gleaned from a nationwide online survey. Radiol med 126, 63–71 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-020-01205-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-020-01205-y

Keywords

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Radiology
  • Online survey