In December 2022, the Pew Research Center asked more than 11,000 adults in the U.S. what they think about AI in healthcare. The results showed many people were careful when it came to AI diagnosing illnesses or suggesting treatments. About 60% of Americans said they would feel uncomfortable if their doctor used AI for these tasks. Only 39% said they would be okay with it.
When asked about results, only 38% thought AI would help patients improve their health. About 33% believed AI might make health outcomes worse. Nearly 27% thought AI would not change health results much. Also, 40% believed AI could cut down on medical mistakes. But 27% worried AI might cause more errors. These answers show that some people see benefits, but many still worry about AI risks.
A big concern was that AI might make the relationship between patients and doctors weaker. This worry was shared by 57% of people. Only 13% thought AI would make that relationship better. Many also worried about security. Thirty-seven percent said AI would make medical record security worse, while 22% believed AI might improve it. These worries show the need to be careful with patient data when using AI.
Among AI uses in healthcare, skin cancer screening with AI got the most support. About 65% of adults in the U.S. said they would want AI to help with their skin cancer checks. About 55% thought AI could make skin cancer diagnosis more accurate.
This support comes because AI can quickly analyze images and find patterns. AI can look at pictures of skin, spot suspicious areas, and help doctors catch early signs of skin cancer that might be missed. Since skin checks are simple and do not involve surgery, patients may feel safer letting AI help here than with more serious procedures.
For people who run medical offices and IT managers, adding AI for skin cancer screening can make work faster and more accurate. It also offers a chance to build patient trust by explaining that AI helps doctors, not replaces them. Being open about how AI works and keeping doctors involved can make patients more comfortable.
AI-powered surgical robots are seen as new tools for tough surgeries. They may help with precise movements, fewer problems, and faster healing. But people have mixed feelings. The Pew survey showed 40% would want AI robots used in their surgery. However, 59% said they would rather not have them used.
This hesitance might come from not knowing much about surgical robots, fear of losing a doctor’s control, or doubts that AI can handle surprises during surgery. Those who knew more about AI surgical robots were more likely to accept them. This shows the importance of teaching people about the technology.
Hospitals need to do more than buy the robots. They must train doctors and staff well. Also, they should clearly explain how the robots work and that they are safe. This kind of effort is needed to help people feel okay with AI in surgeries.
AI chatbots that provide mental health help had the lowest approval in the survey. A large 79% of people said they would not want to use AI chatbots for mental health care. Forty-six percent said chatbots should only be used along with real therapists, not instead of them.
Mental health care deals with feelings and social issues that AI cannot easily understand. Many people think chatbots don’t have empathy or a deep understanding like human therapists do. Privacy worries also make people hesitant.
Medical managers and IT staff need to know that while AI tools can help with early screening or reminders, they can’t fully replace human help. Using chatbots as tools alongside therapists may be better accepted.
Keeping patient health records safe is very important. As digital records grow, AI needs a lot of data to work well. The survey found that 37% of people think AI will make health record security worse. Only 22% believe AI will improve it.
These worries might come from past data leaks or not trusting how AI handles sensitive information. Medical offices face pressure to protect data, follow laws like HIPAA, and tell patients how their privacy is kept safe.
Using strong security like encryption, limiting who can access data, and having clear rules about data use can help ease worries. Being clear with patients about how AI protects their data is very important.
Apart from medical uses, AI helps make office work easier. AI tools can handle tasks like scheduling appointments, answering calls, and sending messages. This helps reduce workload and saves time.
For example, Simbo AI offers AI phone services that help medical offices manage patient calls. By automating routine questions, booking, and reminders, staff have more time for other work and to care for patients.
Automation can cut wait times, stop missed calls, and answer patient questions after hours. This can make patients happier and office work smoother. However, it is important to balance automation with real human contact, especially for sensitive issues.
As people get used to AI tools, they feel more comfortable. Slowly adding AI, training staff, and teaching patients about it can help people accept these new tools. Letting patients know how AI manages calls builds trust.
The survey found that age, gender, education, and income affect how comfortable people feel about AI in healthcare. Men, younger adults, and people with more education and money are more open to using AI for diagnosis and treatment.
Even in these groups, about half still feel some discomfort. This means medical offices should think about these differences when introducing AI tools. Knowing what different patients think helps tailor messages and support so no group feels left out.
As AI becomes more common in healthcare, medical offices need to understand how people feel about these tools. Patient acceptance changes depending on the AI use and individual patients’ views.
It is important to teach patients what AI does, show that it supports doctors instead of replacing them, keep data safe, and keep strong patient-doctor relationships. Using AI in office tasks like phone answering can help operations run better and improve patient experiences.
By paying attention to public opinions and using AI carefully and openly, medical offices can adopt new technology that helps care while respecting patient worries.
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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