Understanding surgeon adoption of artificial intelligence surgical technology: integrating UTAUT-TOE model

Comprehensive Summary

The paper examines the acceptance of artificial intelligence-assisted surgical systems (AISS) among healthcare professionals and the reasons for their adoption in practice. Using a mixed-methods design, they conducted 19 in-depth qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals and 224 quantitative interviews with surgeons. They identified three recurring themes affecting their acceptance of the new technology: performance, organizational, and environmental factors. The survey identified eight factors associated with positive attitudes toward AISS: performance, effort expectancy, advantage, management support, social influence, compatibility, and facilitating conditions. The authors conclude their paper by emphasizing the importance of appropriate context and integration, which can either facilitate or hinder the implementation of AI.

Outcomes and Implications

This research is important because the integration of AI into the healthcare system relies on both AI performance and clinical acceptance. They found that demonstrating the strong clinical advantages of AIIS and appropriate leadership support are integral to integrating AI innovations to improve surgical outcomes. These insights are highly relevant, as AI tools are becoming increasingly available for guidance, support, and workflow optimization; however, they remain underutilized due to barriers. The authors suggest that widespread adoption will depend heavily on addressing resistance and aligning policies over the near to medium term, rather than on requiring distant technological breakthroughs.