HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS' PERCEPTIONS ON THE INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN MANAGING COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

This study investigated the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in managing communication disorders, focusing on healthcare professionals' perceptions, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed, gathering data from 371 professionals across public and private institutions. The study explored how socio-demographic factors, teamwork, communication openness, and organisational influences affected AI adoption in communication disorder management. The results revealed that doctors in private hospitals exhibited more positive perceptions of AI, with 72% expressing confidence compared to 55% in public hospitals. Strong correlations were found between teamwork (r = 0.45) and communication openness (r = 0.38) with AI adoption. Teamwork, management support, and feedback mechanisms explained 17.7% of the variance in doctors' perceptions, with teamwork as the strongest predictor (β = 0.42). The findings underscored the importance of institutional support, teamwork, and communication in effectively integrating AI into healthcare practices. The researchers recommended that that healthcare institutions promote teamwork, communication openness, and management support to enhance AI adoption in communication disorder management. Additionally, training programmes should address the challenges and opportunities of AI, particularly for professionals in public hospitals, to ensure equitable access and integration across healthcare settings.