Artificial Intelligence and Medical Ethics

A Bibliometric Analysis of the 100 Most Cited Research Articles

Authors

  • Sepideh Baniasad-Azad Fakher Mechatronic Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Seyed Ali Fatemi Aghda Research Center for Health Technology Assessment and Medical Informatics, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
  • Sajjad Bahariniya Department of Healthcare Services Management, School of Health Management & Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • Vijayakumar Varadarajan European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) Fellow, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • Amir Hami Department of Medical Library and Information Science, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author
    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7139-5773
    amir.hami76@gmail.com

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence, Medical Ethics, Bibliometric, Citation, High Cited Articles

Abstract

Introduction: As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies continue to advance rapidly, understanding their ethical dimensions has become increasingly crucial. This study examines 100 highly cited articles in the fields of artificial intelligence and medical ethics, aiming to identify key trends and insights that can inform future research and practice.

Methods: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted utilizing data from the Web of Science database. Articles were selected based on citation counts, focusing on both review and original research articles that relate to AI and medical ethics. The analysis encompassed various aspects, including publication trends, geographical distribution, keyword analysis, and sources of the publications, which were performed by Biblioshiny software.

Results: The findings indicate a significant increase in publications since 2018, with a peak observed in 2022. The United States emerged as the leading country in scientific output, contributing 121 articles. Germany with 54 and, Australia with 45 were next in line with the highest production of articles in this field. Key themes identified throughout the analysis include ethics, machine learning, AI applications, and decision-making processes. The keyword analysis revealed distinct clusters surrounding critical ethical issues associated with AI technologies. Notably, prominent journals such as the “Journal of Medical Ethics” and the “American Journal of Bioethics” were highlighted for their substantial contributions to the discourse in this field. "SALLOCH S" had the most activity with 7 articles. Among the categories, ethics, medical ethics and social sciences, biomedical were the most frequent categories.

Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis underscores the growing importance of addressing the ethical challenges associated with AI in healthcare. The intersection of artificial intelligence and medical ethics is emerging as a significant and vital area of research, necessitating further exploration and discussion to ensure responsible and ethical advancements in technology.

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Published

2025-05-26

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Original Research Articles

How to Cite

1.
Baniasad-Azad S, Fatemi Aghda SA, Bahariniya S, Varadarajan V, Hami A. Artificial Intelligence and Medical Ethics: A Bibliometric Analysis of the 100 Most Cited Research Articles. Adv Med Inform [Internet]. 2025 May 26 [cited 2025 Sep. 4];1:6. Available from: https://aimi.quantechquest.com/index.php/AIMI/article/view/11