Recent research shows that people have mixed feelings about AI in healthcare. In a December 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center with over 11,000 U.S. adults, 60% said they would feel uncomfortable if their doctor used AI to diagnose diseases or suggest treatments. This is a big challenge for healthcare leaders as they think about using AI tools.
Only 39% said they were okay with AI helping in diagnosis and treatment. Just 38% believe AI could make patient health better. On the other hand, 33% worry AI might make outcomes worse, and 27% think AI will not change much. These numbers show it is important to balance the technical benefits of AI with what patients think.
Also, 40% of Americans expect AI to reduce medical mistakes, but 27% fear AI could cause more errors. These mixed feelings show that people are not sure if AI is accurate and reliable.
People in the U.S. feel differently about certain AI uses in healthcare. These opinions depend on what the AI does and how people see its risks or benefits.
AI used for skin cancer screening is one of the most accepted applications. The Pew Research Center found that 65% of adults want AI to be used for their own skin cancer screening. Among these, 55% believe AI makes diagnoses more accurate. AI skin screening works by analyzing images of skin spots to find cancer early, sometimes better than older methods.
For healthcare leaders, this acceptance is a chance to use AI tools that help find cancer early while also educating patients about AI’s accuracy and the role of doctors.
Surgical robots guided by AI have less acceptance. Only 40% of Americans would want such robots used during their surgery. Most, 59%, said no because they either do not know enough about the technology or do not trust it.
AI robots in surgery can improve precision, make smaller cuts, speed up recovery, and reduce human mistakes. Still, the public’s hesitation means surgeons and healthcare groups should clearly explain how these robots work with skilled surgeons, not replace them.
AI chatbots for mental health support are the least popular among Americans. About 79% said they would not want to use AI chatbots for mental health help. Many doubt if these chatbots are effective.
Also, 46% think chatbots should only be extra tools that help human therapists, not take the place of real doctors. This shows that mental health care needs a human touch, like empathy and understanding.
Mental health service leaders should see this as proof that AI tools need human supervision to gain trust and be accepted.
AI could help reduce unfair treatment based on race and ethnicity. Among Americans who see bias in healthcare, 51% believe AI can help reduce this problem. Only 15% think AI might make it worse.
Health differences based on race and ethnicity have been known to affect patient care and trust. AI tools, if designed well, can use the same rules when diagnosing and treating patients. This lowers unconscious bias some doctors might show.
Healthcare leaders must make sure that AI tools are programmed carefully and checked often. This will prevent AI from copying or making biases worse.
Many people worry that AI might hurt their relationship with doctors. The Pew Research data shows 57% think AI in diagnosis and treatment will damage this relationship. Only 13% think AI will improve it.
The connection between patients and doctors is very important for trust and care. Many patients worry that AI will make care less personal or reduce time with doctors. This means healthcare groups should use AI to help, not replace, human contact. AI can support doctors with information and tasks but still keep patients feeling connected.
Patients worry a lot about data security. The survey found 37% think AI might make health record security worse. Just 22% think AI will improve security.
Healthcare leaders and IT managers must work to ease these worries. They should use strong protections to keep patient data safe. Stopping data breaches is very important to keep patient trust, especially when AI needs access to private health information.
Being open about how data is collected, stored, and used by AI helps calm fears and protects patient privacy.
How much people accept AI depends on their background. Men, younger adults, and people with more education and higher income tend to be more open to AI in healthcare. Still, even in these groups, about half say they are uncomfortable.
This shows healthcare groups need to talk to different patient groups in ways that make sense to them. Teaching people about what AI can and cannot do is key to getting them to accept it.
AI is also used outside of clinical work. It helps with office jobs like answering phones and scheduling appointments. For example, Simbo AI makes AI systems that answer calls and handle bookings.
These AI phone systems can reduce work for staff, lower wait times, and improve communication with patients.
In places where there are not enough staff and many calls, AI can make sure calls are answered fast and correctly. This reduces human mistakes in scheduling and prevents messed-up appointments.
AI systems also link with electronic health records and management tools to make office work smoother. For healthcare groups wanting to modernize, these AI tools can save time and money.
Healthcare leaders who want to use AI must understand what patients think about it. While AI for skin cancer screening is widely accepted, other AI uses like surgery robots or mental health chatbots face more refusal.
The main thing patients want is human help and supervision. They want AI to support doctors, not take their place. This idea matches a review by The Lancet Digital Health in 2021, which said both patients and the public prefer AI tools used together with clinicians.
Healthcare leaders also need to think about ethics. This means avoiding bias, protecting data, and being clear about AI use. Doing this helps build trust and use AI responsibly.
By knowing these views, healthcare leaders can decide how to use AI in ways that respect patients and improve work. Being open and teaching people about AI will help make AI use successful in U.S. healthcare.
AI must always focus on patients and help healthcare workers. This balanced way is needed to give safe, good care as healthcare changes.
60% of U.S. adults report feeling uncomfortable if their healthcare provider used AI for diagnosis and treatment recommendations, while 39% said they would be comfortable.
Only 38% believe AI would improve health outcomes by diagnosing diseases and recommending treatments, 33% think it would worsen outcomes, and 27% see little to no difference.
40% of Americans think AI use in healthcare would reduce mistakes made by providers, whereas 27% believe it would increase mistakes, and 31% expect no significant change.
Among those who recognize racial and ethnic bias as an issue, 51% believe AI would help reduce this bias, 15% think it would worsen it, and about one-third expect no change.
A majority, 57%, believe AI would deteriorate the personal connection between patients and providers, whereas only 13% think it would improve this relationship.
Men, younger adults, and individuals with higher education levels are more open to AI in healthcare, but even among these groups, around half or more still express discomfort.
Most Americans (65%) would want AI used for skin cancer screening, viewing it as a medical advance, while fewer are comfortable with AI-driven surgery robots, pain management AI, or mental health chatbots.
About 40% would want AI robots used in their surgery, 59% would not; those familiar with these robots largely see them as a medical advance, whereas lack of familiarity leads to greater rejection.
79% of U.S. adults would not want to use AI chatbots for mental health support, with concerns about their standalone effectiveness; 46% say these chatbots should only supplement therapist care.
37% believe AI use in health and medicine would worsen health record security, while 22% think it would improve security, indicating significant public concern about data privacy in AI applications.
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