Effect of Building Capacity of Health Professional Educators in Artificial Intelligence Through a Series of Workshops; a Follow-Up Study

Background: Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the education of healthcare professionals. Despite this progress, many healthcare educators lack the necessary knowledge and confidence to integrate AI effectively. Structured faculty development initiatives may address this gap by enhancing educators’ capacity to incorporate AI. This study investigated participants’ perceptions of a series of AI-focused capacity-building workshops conducted in Pakistan and explored the sustained effect of these workshops on educators’ attitudes, confidence, and application of AI tools in educational settings. Methods: A Prospective observational follow-up study was conducted across five workshops: AI in Research (n = 18), AI in Simulation (n = 6), AI in Gamification (n = 15), AI in Assessment (n = 23), and AI in Prompt Engineering (n = 27). Immediate post-workshop surveys measured perceived significance, satisfaction, and knowledge gains. A follow-up survey three months later evaluated sustained use, behavioral change, and institutional dissemination. The follow-up survey questionnaire included the application of workshop learning, changes in attitude, skills, and confidence, institutional support, reflection, and future directions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported high satisfaction across all workshops, with over 85% rating the sessions as “Excellent” or “Satisfactory” in terms of achieving learning objectives, knowledge gain, and applicability. Follow-up data (n = 56) demonstrated sustained impact: 85% of participants reported using at least one AI tool in teaching or research, 90% expressed increased openness to AI use, and 77% shared their learning with colleagues. Commonly cited challenges included inadequate infrastructure, institutional resistance, and ethical concerns. Conclusion: AI-focused faculty development workshops significantly enhanced educators’ knowledge, skills, confidence, and motivation to incorporate AI into health professions education. The study uniquely contributes follow-up evidence on early capacity building and educators’ application of AI tools after AI-focused faculty development workshops in health professions education. Keywords: artificial intelligence, faculty development, health professions education, capacity building, technology-enhanced education, medical education, technology, AI