Introduction to the Study: Digital Health Competences and AI Beliefs in Evidence-Based Medicine
The practice of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is paramount for enhancing medical care and improving patient outcomes, leading to benefits such as more efficient resource use, enhanced patient care, decreased costs and hospital stays, increased patient satisfaction, and the elimination of unnecessary or ineffective medical practices. With the escalating diffusion of digital health (dHealth) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, which are integral to the future of medicine, EBM is increasingly dependent on medical professionals’ competences with these advanced tools. These technologies hold immense promise for improving the quality and personalization of healthcare. However, prior research indicates that the successful adoption of evidence-based innovations, including dHealth and AI, relies heavily on human factors, and a lack of knowledge in this domain has been identified as a significant barrier to effective EBM. Despite the acknowledged importance of dHealth and AI in healthcare, empirical insights into the specific effects of prospective physicians’ technology-related competences and perceptions have been limited.
This study by Wagner, Ringeval, Raymond, and Paré (2025) directly addresses this gap by investigating the effect of dHealth competences and perceptions of AI on the adoption of EBM among prospective physicians. The research aimed to generate new knowledge about the causal relationships between dHealth competences, attitudes towards AI, and EBM practice among medical students. The ultimate goal is to inform the redesign of medical curricula to better prepare future physicians for the demands of evidence-based medical practice in an increasingly technology-driven healthcare environment.
A cross-sectional survey was administered online to 177 medical students at the University of Montreal’s medical school, gathering data on their dHealth competences (knowledge and experiential), perceptions of AI, and their practice of EBM. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the researchers analyzed these relationships.
Key Findings of the Study: The analysis yielded several significant insights:
- Medical students possess foundational knowledge of dHealth technologies and believe AI will play an important role in future medicine.
- However, their experiential competences with dHealth technologies are limited.
- Experiential dHealth competences are strongly and significantly related to the practice of EBM (β = 0.42, p < 0.001).
- Experiential dHealth competences also significantly influence students’ perceptions of AI’s role in the future of medicine (β = 0.39, p < 0.001).
- Students’ positive perceptions of AI’s role in future medicine positively affect their EBM practice (β = 0.19, p < 0.05).
- Pure dHealth knowledge competences, in contrast, were not found to be significantly related to EBM practice or students’ AI perceptions.
- Individual background, including gender and academic level, was found to significantly impact both dHealth knowledge and experiential competences.
Implications for Medical Education: These findings underscore the necessity of enhancing students’ competences related to dHealth and considering their perceptions of AI. The study highlights that the low levels of experiential dHealth competences represent a promising starting point for training future physicians while simultaneously strengthening their EBM practice. Accordingly, the authors suggest revising medical curricula to focus on providing students with practical, experiential learning opportunities with dHealth and AI technologies, moving beyond traditional teaching formats to include initiatives like “hackathons” or capstone projects. Furthermore, it is advisable to prioritize broad coverage of fundamental dHealth technologies before exclusively focusing on AI. The study emphasizes that integrating advanced technologies into the medical curriculum can simultaneously improve students’ competences, shape their perceptions of AI, and support their EBM practice, ultimately leading to improved healthcare outcomes.
APA Reference:
Wagner, G., Ringeval, M., Raymond, L., & Paré, G. (2025). Digital health competences and AI beliefs as conditions for the practice of evidence-based medicine: a study of prospective physicians in Canada. Medical Education Online, 30, 2459910. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2025.2459910
