Transparency of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Insights from Professionals in Computing and Healthcare Worldwide

Abstract

Although it is widely assumed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will revolutionise healthcare in the near future, considerable progress must yet be made in order to gain the trust of healthcare professionals and patients. Improving AI transparency is a promising avenue for addressing such trust issues. However, transparency still lacks maturation and definitions. We seek to answer what challenges do experts and professionals in computing and healthcare identify concerning transparency of AI in healthcare? Here, we examine AI transparency in healthcare from five angles: interpretability, privacy, security, equity, and intellectual property. We respond to this question based on recent literature discussing the transparency of AI in healthcare and on an international online survey we sent to professionals working in computing and healthcare and potentially within AI. We collected responses from 40 professionals around the world. Overall, the survey results and current state of the art suggest key problems are a generalised lack of information available to the general public, a lack of understanding of transparency aspects covered in this work, and a lack of involvement of all stakeholders in the development of AI systems. We propose a set of recommendations, the implementation of which can enhance the transparency of AI in healthcare.

Clearing the Fog: A Scoping Literature Review on the Ethical Issues Surrounding Artificial Intelligence-Based Medical Devices

“…Poor communication between stakeholders has been identified in previous literature as a limiting factor in the successful development of AI health technologies, with calls for increased representation of diverse ethnic socioeconomic and demographic groups and promotion of open science approaches to prevent algorithmic bias from occurring. Involving interdisciplinary and cross-sector stakeholders (including healthcare professionals, patients, carers and the public) in the design and deployment of AI will help to ensure the technologies are designed with transparency, that they meet clinical needs and that they are ultimately acceptable to users [120,121].…”

Balancing Privacy and Progress: A Review of Privacy Challenges, Systemic Oversight, and Patient Perceptions in AI-Driven Healthcare

“…This approach also addresses the need for explainability in AI systems and their potential impacts on human dignity and integrity. It emphasizes a balanced approach, integrating rapid technological advancements with ethical considerations [2,[36][37][38].…”

Revolutionizing nursing education and care: The role of artificial intelligence in nursing

“…31 Insights obtained from AI are used in healthcare, supporting clinical decision-making by facilitating complex, impractical or timeconsuming tasks including prediction, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. 32 Accessibility AI-powered educational tools are available round the clock, allowing students to learn at their own pace and convenience. This flexibility is especially valuable for working professionals pursuing further education.…”

“…Insights obtained from AI are used in healthcare, supporting clinical decision‐making by facilitating complex, impractical or time‐consuming tasks including prediction, diagnosis, treatment and follow‐up 32 …”