Clinician awareness of brain computer interfaces: a Canadian national survey.
Sasha Letourneau, Ephrem Takele Zewdie, Zeanna Jadavji and 3 others
PMID 31907010WHAT IT FOUND
Canadian specialist physicians reported poor awareness of brain-computer interfaces, yet most rated them highly useful.
Only 4% had patients using BCI. Physician estimates suggested 13,000 to 32,000 Canadians might benefit.
Key findings
01Most surveyed physicians had low BCI knowledge: 83% scored below 'somewhat familiar' on average, and only 17% scored at or above that level.
02Only 4% of surveyed physicians had patients currently using BCI, amounting to 21 patients in total.
03Physicians estimated that between 13,000 and 32,000 Canadians with severe neurological conditions and preserved cognition might benefit from BCI.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The response rate was 14.9%, and physicians who chose to respond may have been more interested in BCI than average. Only 137 physicians were analysed, and the survey was anonymous, English-only, had a short collection period and a single reminder, which may have limited participation. Only physicians were surveyed; occupational, physical and speech/communication therapists were excluded, so the results do not describe those professions' views. BCI utility and patient-number estimates were made by physicians after reading survey statements and vignettes, and many had little prior understanding, so these are not patient outcomes. The 13,000 to 32,000 estimate is a rough approximation based on physician catchment estimates, and the authors say it has only modest accuracy.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high utility ratings as evidence that BCI improves patient outcomes. The study surveyed physicians' awareness and estimates, not patient results, and only 4% reported patients currently using BCI.