HCPs want AI to personalize, summarize medical education content: survey

Add medical education to the list of areas artificial intelligence could transform. Healthcare professionals are keen to see the technology deployed, with more than half of respondents to a survey saying it could improve how they learn by powering features such as video summaries and personalized content.  

MedAll, a healthcare training platform, and CMI Media Group surveyed 1,000 HCPs about AI and their education preferences. The survey found almost two-thirds of HCPs have used AI in their personal lives and close to half have used the tools professionally. In both settings, ChatGPT is by far the most widely used AI technology. 

Skepticism remains, with 20% of HCPs saying they don’t trust AI and 46% undecided, but many people are open to the technology. CMI found 56% of HCPs expect AI to positively impact the way they learn.

Asked how they want to see AI implemented in medical education, respondents provided a road map for how technology may help busy HCPs stay up to date. The most commonly requested use of AI, picked by 23% of respondents, was in the creation of summaries of educational videos. AI-generated summaries of journal articles were a popular choice, too, ranking third on the list of most requested features. 

The second most popular choice, selected by 17% of respondents, was AI-powered recommendations for further reading. Collectively, the top three responses suggest that HCPs, facing an overwhelming amount of information, want tools that help find and consume educational materials quickly and efficiently. 

MedAll and CMI discussed the implications of the data for pharma marketers, outlining the opportunity for drugmakers to “integrate AI-powered tools that personalize HCP engagement journeys” and “solidify their position as leaders in the evolving landscape of HCP engagement and medical education.” However, another section of the survey found resistance to some pharma content.

Asked which educational formats have been most impactful over the past month, 0.3% of respondents said pharma companies. The result put pharma at the bottom of a pile topped by live webinars that allow real-time Q&A with experts, which almost 24% of HCPs said have been the most impactful. HCPs listed pharma websites among the least impactful educational formats.