Patient Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Hand Surgery: A Survey of 511 Patients Presenting to a Hand Surgery Clinic.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate patient awareness and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in a hand surgery clinic setting.

Methods: A 16-question, multiple-choice, paper survey was administered to adult patients at five urban and suburban hand clinic locations from February to March 2024. The anonymous survey assessed patient characteristics and patient familiarity, usage, and trust toward chatbots in hand surgery. Descriptive statistics summarized the survey results, whereas multivariable logistic regression analyses determined the factors associated with positive perceptions of AI.

Results: Of the 564 surveys administered, 511 (91%) were completed in their entirety and were included in the study. Most patients (81%) reported having at least basic familiarity with computers and smartphones, whereas 45% had never heard of specific AI chatbots (eg, ChatGPT). Only 3.9% of patients frequently use chatbots in daily life, whereas 70% have never used a chatbot. Only 14.1% of patients stated that they were likely to use chatbots to answer questions about their upper-extremity condition. Similarly, low proportions were likely to trust chatbots to accurately answer questions (14.7%), make a diagnosis (9.0%), make appropriate treatment recommendations (11.9%), and help manage complications (10.8%). A greater proportion thought chatbots would play an important role in their future upper- extremity care (18.6%). Positive perceptions of chatbots were associated with uninsured payment status and those with a college degree, whereas patients who were older or who had greater familiarity with technology were less likely to have positive perceptions of chatbots.

Conclusions: As AI is increasingly integrated into medical practice, many hand clinic patients remain unaware of or uncertain about its role in their care.

Clinical relevance: Although certain populations had positive attitudes toward chatbots, enhancing patient education about the role and benefits of AI, as well as ensuring transparency, may facilitate its integration into patient care.