The use of AI in clinical practice is growing quickly. According to a survey by the American Medical Association (AMA), 66% of physicians used healthcare AI tools in 2024. This is a big jump from 38% in 2023. This shows that AI is no longer just a future idea. It is now a useful part of everyday medical work.
Doctors use AI for many tasks. The most common include creating billing codes, medical charts, and visit notes. This use grew from 13% in 2023 to 21% in 2024. AI also helps make discharge instructions, care plans, progress notes, and translation services. These tasks are often routine and can take a lot of time. AI helps by automating them and letting doctors spend less time on paperwork.
The AMA survey also shows that doctors see clinical benefits beyond just paperwork. AI helps with diagnosis support, personalizing treatment, and improving patient care. In 2024, 68% of doctors said AI had some or definite benefits. This is a small increase from 65% in 2023.
Another 2024 survey by athenahealth found that 94% of doctors are aware of how AI can be used in healthcare. This means almost all doctors now understand AI’s part in medicine.
Doctors are more open to AI now. Support for using AI tools rose to 35% in 2024 from 30% in 2023, according to the AMA survey. At the same time, fewer doctors were more worried than excited about AI, dropping from 29% to 25%. About 40% of doctors feel both excited and cautious about adding AI into their work.
Even with more acceptance, many doctors still have concerns about AI. They worry about data privacy, how AI fits with electronic health records (EHRs), legal risks if AI makes mistakes, lack of strong proof that AI works well, and the chance that AI might give wrong advice.
Doctors want clear rules and good training to use AI safely. They also want stronger government oversight. In fact, 47% said better oversight is the most important action to build doctor trust in AI.
Data privacy is very important. In 2024, 87% of doctors said data privacy guarantees are essential. Also, 88% wanted an easy way to report problems with AI tools. Most, 84%, said AI needs to work smoothly inside their current EHR systems, so it does not interrupt their work.
Paperwork is a big source of burnout for doctors. Many think AI can help reduce this work. About 57% of doctors said cutting down paperwork through automation is the biggest chance for AI in healthcare.
Tasks like coding, charting, notes, patient messages, and care plans take up lots of doctor time. AI tools can quickly produce visit notes, billing codes, and discharge summaries with better accuracy. This saves doctors from doing clerical work and lets them focus more on patient care.
More doctors are using AI for clinical documentation and note-taking. A 2025 survey by athenahealth shows 68% of AI users are increasing AI use for clinical documentation. However, only 36% said AI helped with administrative tasks. This means there is room for AI to grow in office work.
AI is also helping with telemedicine, especially for patients who speak different languages. AI translation services help doctors and patients communicate during online visits better. Use of AI translation grew from 11% in 2023 to 14% in 2024.
AI tools focus on automating tasks that are repeated and take a lot of time. This is important for medical office managers and IT staff who want to balance smooth operations with good care.
These AI tools help reduce paperwork, improve data accuracy, and make office work run more efficiently.
The American Medical Association supports using AI responsibly and ethically in healthcare. They say AI should help human intelligence, not replace it. This way, AI acts as a tool to support doctors, improve care, and make work easier without taking away the doctor’s role.
Being clear about how AI is used in patient care is important. Doctors and patients need to know when AI tools help with diagnosis, treatment, or paperwork. The AMA helps set rules to make sure AI is tested, fair, and safe. This includes protecting data, cybersecurity, and dealing with legal risks.
Doctors play a key role in making and using AI tools. The AMA’s Digital Medicine Payment Advisory Group works on rules for billing and reimbursements related to AI. This helps bring AI into normal healthcare payment systems. Also, ongoing education helps doctors learn to use AI well and carefully.
While doctors are more accepting of AI, the public remains careful. Surveys show 60% of Americans feel uneasy if their healthcare provider uses AI for diagnosis or treatment suggestions. Only 39% feel comfortable with AI in their own care.
People worry that AI might hurt doctor-patient relationships, reduce personal contact, or cause privacy and security issues. However, some uses like skin cancer screening get more support. About 65% of Americans want AI involved in this because they think it helps accuracy.
Patient comfort with AI depends a lot on being open about how AI works, proving that AI tools are reliable, and knowing that AI supports but does not replace human judgment.
Use of AI by doctors in the U.S. has grown a lot. By 2024, most doctors use AI in their work, especially for paperwork like notes and billing codes. Support for AI keeps growing because it helps reduce workload and assist with clinical decisions.
Still, doctors have worries about data privacy, oversight, fitting AI into current workflows, and legal risks from mistakes by AI systems. Medical office managers and IT staff have important roles in picking and using AI tools that are safe and helpful.
AI-powered workflow tools like phone systems, billing automation, and clinical documentation are key parts of this growing trend in healthcare. They help make operations smoother, lower doctor burnout, and improve patient care.
The AMA stays active in promoting responsible AI use. They push for rules that make AI ethical, clear, and keep doctors involved. Success with AI in healthcare will require balancing efficiency with the human care that patients need.
Augmented intelligence is a conceptualization of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on its assistive role in health care, enhancing human intelligence rather than replacing it.
AI can streamline administrative tasks, automate routine operations, and assist in data management, thereby reducing the workload and stress on healthcare professionals, leading to lower administrative burnout.
Physicians express concerns about implementation guidance, data privacy, transparency in AI tools, and the impact of AI on their practice.
In 2024, 68% of physicians saw advantages in AI, with an increase in the usage of AI tools from 38% in 2023 to 66%, reflecting growing enthusiasm.
The AMA supports the ethical, equitable, and responsible development and deployment of AI tools in healthcare, emphasizing transparency to both physicians and patients.
Physician input is crucial to ensure that AI tools address real clinical needs and enhance practice management without compromising care quality.
AI is increasingly integrated into medical education as both a tool for enhancing education and a subject of study that can transform educational experiences.
AI is being used in clinical care, medical education, practice management, and administration to improve efficiency and reduce burdens on healthcare providers.
AI tools should be developed following ethical guidelines and frameworks that prioritize clinician well-being, transparency, and data privacy.
Challenges include ensuring responsible development, integration with existing systems, maintaining data security, and addressing the evolving regulatory landscape.