Intellilung: Perceptions of AI Among Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Professionals

An international survey on attitudes, expectations and needs  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance diagnostics, treatment, and workflow efficiency. However, its successful integration into clinical practice depends on user acceptance. To investigate the benefits, barriers, and challenges of AI applications among anaesthesia and intensive care professionals, the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) and the University Hospital Dresden designed and disseminated a survey in 2023. Conducted within the framework of the IntelliLung project, the survey was sent to all ESAIC subscribers and focused on understanding the perspectives of anaesthesiologists and intensive care specialists. The survey included items on familiarity and experiences with AI applications, perceived benefits, concerns, and demographic variables. Over 500 respondents, mainly from Europe and Asia, completed the survey. Most respondents were board-certified anaesthesiologists. 

Key findings 

This international survey shows that professionals in anaesthesia and intensive care recognise the potential benefits of AI, such as more reliable decision-making and better anticipation of medical complications. However, there are notable demographic differences in these perceptions. Respondents expressed a strong interest in AI training, which is crucial for fostering acceptance and effectively integrating AI technologies into clinical settings. To successfully adopt AI applications in clinical practice, it is important to develop training programs tailored to specific demographics, implement robust validation processes and establish clear ethical and legal frameworks. While more than 80% of the respondents were aware of AI applications, only one-third reported regular encounters with them. Familiarity was higher among males and intensive care specialists. More than 90% expressed interest in AI training, particularly younger and less experienced professionals. 

Furthermore, more than 90% expressed willingness to use AI applications, citing benefits such as improved decision-making, anticipation of complications, and reduced workload. Younger and female respondents were more optimistic about AI’s benefits. Key concerns included a lack of explainability, overreliance on AI, and medico-legal uncertainties. Ethical considerations were more prevalent among females. Scepticism was attributed to insufficient validation studies and fears of inaccurate outputs, particularly among experienced clinicians. 

Conclusion 

This international survey revealed cautious optimism among anaesthesia and intensive care professionals regarding integrating AI into clinical practice. While respondents anticipated significant improvements in patient care, decision-making reliability, and efficiency, concerns about ethics, transparency, and legal clarity remain barriers to adoption. Addressing these challenges requires tailored education, transparent AI design, rigorous validation, and establishing clear guidelines and regulatory frameworks. This will allow the potential of AI applications to improve outcomes, efficiency, and clinician satisfaction to be realised safely, ethically, and sustainably. 

Background information 

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Dresden University of Technology (BO-EK-511112022). The principal investigator of the trial was Dr. Med. Jakob Wittenstein. The detailed results of this survey will be published soon. 

Funded by the Horizon Europe program – under grant agreement No. 101057434 – the IntelliLung (Intelligent Lung Support for Ventilated Patients in Intensive Care) project aims to optimise invasive ventilation of critically ill patients. Using the patient’s clinical data, an AI-based decision support system provides the care team with invasive mechanical ventilation settings recommendations. The goal is to minimise ventilation time, reduce the length of stay in the intensive care unit and reduce mortality. More about the project: https://intellilung-project.eu  

As a key partner, the ESAIC contributed to the IntelliLung project’s communication strategy and led the development and piloting of an online survey distributed to its members. The survey, promoted across various media channels over several months, gathered valuable insights that were used to support the project’s ongoing research and analysis. 

Authors

• Jakob Wittenstein – PI of the IntelliLung project, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Pulmonary Engineering Group, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TUD Dresden University of Technology 
• Raphael Theilen – Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Pulmonary Engineering Group, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TUD Dresden University of Technology