60% of US patients uncomfortable with AI in healthcare settings, survey finds

The adoption of AI tools to simplify processes and workflows is slowly occurring across all industries, including healthcare — though patients largely disagree with clinicians using those tools when providing care, the Pew Research Center survey found.

The potential for AI tools to diminish personal connections between patients and providers is a key concern, according to the survey, which included responses from over 11,000 adults in the USA collected in December. Patients also fear their health records could become less secure.

Respondents, however, acknowledged potential benefits, including that AI could reduce the number of mistakes providers make.

They also expressed optimism about AI’s potential impact on racial and ethnic biases in healthcare settings, even as the technology has been criticised for exacerbating those issues.

Among respondents who believe racial biases are an issue in healthcare, about half said they think the tools would reduce the problem, while 15% said it would make it worse and about 30% said it would stay the same.

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Source: Healthcare Dive, 23 February 2023