Most pediatricians in Türkiye expect AI to improve care, survey finds

A cross-sectional, web-based survey of pediatricians in Türkiye has found that most respondents expect artificial intelligence to benefit pediatric care, even though very few report knowing much about the technology. The study, published in BMC Pediatrics, analyzed responses from 368 pediatricians, including residents and specialists, who completed an open, convenience-sampled online questionnaire.

Of the 403 pediatricians who accessed the survey, 18 declined to participate, one was excluded for completing it in under two minutes, and 16 were excluded for an inconsistent control-item response, leaving 368 participants in the analysis. The respondents had a median age of 35 years and a median of 9 years of pediatric care experience.

Knowledge of AI appeared limited. Only 9.5% of participants reported awareness of AI in pediatrics, and 85.9% rated their self-perceived AI knowledge as average or below average. Despite this, optimism was widespread: 74.2% agreed that AI will improve pediatrics, and 88.3% stated that it could enhance the quality of care.

The survey also probed specific concerns. Legal liability was the most commonly cited worry, raised by 78.5% of respondents.

Across 37 ordinal survey items, only one age correlation survived statistical correction: younger respondents were more likely to expect AI to increase diagnostic confidence. The association was small in magnitude (rs = -0.171, 95% CI -0.269 to -0.070; P = 0.001; Padj = 0.038).

Acceptance of AI as an assistive tool was high, but expectations of replacement were low. 90.8% of respondents supported AI as a clinical decision support tool, yet only 17.4% believed AI could replace human physicians in non-invasive roles.

Practical readiness for adoption also appeared limited. Only 19.3% of respondents expected their institution to allocate financial or personnel resources for integrating AI into clinical workflows.

The authors conclude that survey respondents generally view AI as a promising tool to improve pediatric care, but that they express significant concerns about its reliability, ethical implications, and legal responsibilities. The study’s authors note that pediatricians’ perspectives on AI in Türkiye, including their knowledge, trust, and concerns, had remained underexplored before this survey.

As a cross-sectional, convenience-sampled web survey, the study captures the attitudes of pediatricians who chose to respond rather than a probability sample of all pediatricians in Türkiye, and its findings reflect self-reported perceptions rather than measured clinical outcomes of AI use.

Subject of Research: Pediatricians' attitudes toward artificial intelligence in pediatric care in Türkiye

Article Title: Pediatrician attitudes, acceptance, and concerns regarding artificial intelligence in pediatric care: a web-based survey in Türkiye

Article References: Onur, D., Özbakır, Ç., Harputluoğlu, N., & Dinçel, N. (2026). Pediatrician attitudes, acceptance, and concerns regarding artificial intelligence in pediatric care: a web-based survey in Türkiye. BMC Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07966-1

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12887-026-07966-1

Keywords: artificial intelligence, pediatrics, survey, Türkiye, clinical decision support, legal liability, data security, physician attitudes, cross-sectional study, health technology, Pediatrician, attitudes