Evidence mapPaperPMID 41754019Full record

ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Determinants of Trust in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Health-Related Decision-Making Among Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Bandar S Alharbi, Majed M Aljabri, Endale Alemayehu Ali

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Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Bandar S AlharbiCommunity and Psychiatric Mental Health Department, College of Nursing, King Saud University, Riyadh 12375, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0004-0582-0902
Majed M AljabriCommunity and Psychiatric Mental Health Department, College of Nursing, King Saud University, Riyadh 12375, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-4244-8108
Endale Alemayehu AliDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-0729-5959

Funding

Ongoing Research Funding Program, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ORF-2026-1339
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesArtificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare decision-making. Public trust in AI remains a critical determinant of its acceptance and effective use. Evidence on the factors shaping trust in AI within Middle Eastern contexts, particularly Saudi Arabia, remains limited. Therefore, we aimed to identify the determinants of trust in AI for health-related decision-making and to examine a theory-informed mediation pathway in which patient satisfaction mediates the association between patient-doctor relationships and trust in AI.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, facility-based survey of adults in Saudi Arabia, using an electronic questionnaire distributed in four primary healthcare centers. We performed multiple linear regression to assess the association of trust in AI for health-related decision-making with patient satisfaction, patient-doctor relationships, sociodemographic characteristics, and healthcare-related factors. A mediation analysis was also employed to evaluate the indirect and direct association linking patient-doctor relationships, patient satisfaction, and trust in AI.

resultsOur findings showed that patient satisfaction was positively associated with trust in AI (β = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.18-0.90), while patient-doctor relationships showed an inverse association (β = -0.34, 95% CI: -0.48 to -0.20), possibly reflecting a greater reliance on physicians' clinical judgment and a reduced perceived need for AI-supported decision-making. Trust in AI varied across age groups, with a lower trust observed in older age categories compared with younger adults. No strong associations were observed for sex, education, body mass index, or healthcare-related factors. Patient-doctor relationship quality was indirectly associated with trust in AI via patient satisfaction (ACME = 0.138, 95% CI: 0.043-0.246), alongside a direct association with trust in AI (ADE = -0.313, 95% CI: -0.456 to -0.160). This means that patient-doctor relationships influenced trust in AI both directly and indirectly through patient satisfaction, suggesting that, while interpersonal care may reduce the reliance on AI (direct effect), enhancing patient satisfaction can partially offset this effect and promote trust in AI (indirect effect).

conclusionsThese findings highlight that fostering patient-centered care and satisfaction may be crucial for promoting public trust in AI, which has important implications for AI governance, ethical deployment, and the design of AI-supported healthcare systems.

Indexed as

artificial intelligencehealthcaremediation analysispatient–doctor relationshippatient satisfactiontrust

Identifiers

PMID41754019
PMCPMC12940213

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.