A survey by the American Medical Association (AMA) asked over 1,000 U.S. doctors about AI in healthcare. About 66% think AI can be helpful. But only 38% said they were actually using AI at the time of the survey. This shows that AI use is still just starting to grow.
Doctors see AI as a tool that can make diagnoses more accurate. Around 72% said AI helps most with diagnostic tasks. Also, 69% think AI can make work more efficient, and 61% believe AI might improve clinical results. These numbers show doctors are hopeful about how AI can support better decisions and patient care.
The AMA survey found that 56% of doctors think AI can help with care coordination, making patient care easier and safer. This goal matches what healthcare managers want to achieve. About 54% see AI as useful for tasks like billing codes, medical charts, and visit notes. Nearly 48% said AI helps with insurance approval processes, which often slow care down. Moreover, 43% think AI can assist with discharge instructions, care plans, and progress notes.
A similar study in Saudi Arabia with gastroenterology doctors shows attitudes toward AI differ by age, specialty, years of practice, and location. These differences may exist in the U.S. too, so healthcare leaders should think about these when bringing in AI tools.
Even with positive views, many U.S. doctors have worries about AI. The biggest worry is that AI might hurt the relationship between patients and doctors. About 39% fear that relying too much on AI could make communication or trust worse. The human touch, like empathy and personal advice, is something AI can’t give.
Privacy is another big concern. About 41% worry about how AI uses patient data. AI must handle large amounts of sensitive information, raising questions about security and rules like HIPAA. Doctors want to know exactly how AI works, including what data it uses and how it makes decisions. They want to watch AI’s accuracy and safety all the time.
Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, AMA’s president, says it is important to keep a “human element” in care. Patients should trust that a real doctor is guiding their care, even if AI helps make decisions. This idea supports fair and responsible AI use. The AMA asks for clear rules about AI, safety checks by makers, and strict regulations to build trust. About 78% of doctors want clear laws about AI’s use and safety.
Doctors also worry about how AI might change jobs. AI might change what tasks doctors do, especially in non-clinical areas like billing and paperwork. This causes some uncertainty.
More doctors in the U.S. are starting to use AI, but it is not yet everywhere. While 38% say they use AI, many are still learning how to use it well. About 39% of U.S. adults are okay with health providers using AI, and 38% believe AI could improve health results. These views line up with what doctors expect.
Research shows AI will grow fast in healthcare and other industries. By 2030, AI could add almost $16 trillion to the world economy and increase worker productivity by 40%. This means medical offices investing in AI now might be better prepared in the future.
Business data shows that AI customer service makes up over 56% of AI uses in many industries. In healthcare, things like AI-assisted phone answering, appointment booking, and insurance approvals are expected to become common soon.
Healthcare managers and IT leaders often want to know how AI can make work easier. AI can cut down on paperwork, reduce waiting times, and make patients happier with less human work needed. For example, Simbo AI is a company that uses AI for front-office phone calls, showing how AI can help.
AI can handle many phone calls. It can answer right away and help schedule appointments. This lowers missed appointments and lets staff do harder tasks. AI phone systems can also work after hours so patients can get help anytime without needing more workers.
Getting insurance approval often slows down care. AI can quickly check policies, help with paperwork, and send requests electronically. According to the AMA survey, 48% of doctors find AI helpful here. Using AI for insurance tasks reduces the workload and costs for clinical staff.
Writing up medical notes takes a lot of time and can lead to tired doctors. AI that understands speech can listen and write notes during or right after patient visits. This helps doctors work faster and keeps records more complete and accurate.
AI tools can share patient information with care teams and remind providers about important follow-ups or medicine changes. Fifty-six percent of doctors expect AI to improve how care is organized and make it safer. By sending reminders and instructions automatically, AI makes care easier for both patients and doctors.
Using AI in healthcare is not just about new technology. It also needs rules and trust from doctors and patients. The AMA survey shows 77% of doctors want clear and steady rules on AI safety, effectiveness, data handling, and who is responsible if AI makes a mistake.
Doctors want easy-to-understand info on how AI makes decisions. Systems, including AI in billing or insurance, must show how they work fairly. This keeps AI use ethical.
To build trust, companies making AI must track and fix problems quickly. Watching AI after release helps keep it safe, fair, and effective while it is used more widely.
Studies from other countries, like one in Saudi Arabia with gastroenterology doctors, show that age, specialty, experience, and work setting affect how doctors accept AI. In the U.S., we likely see this too. Young doctors may be more open, while those with more experience might be more cautious. Some specialties that use pattern recognition might like AI more, but others will want proof before using it.
Healthcare managers should keep these differences in mind when introducing AI. Teaching doctors well and explaining AI’s role clearly can help make the transition smoother.
For managers, owners, and IT professionals in U.S. healthcare, adding AI brings chances along with challenges. Most doctors see that AI can help make diagnoses better, speed up work, and improve patient care. But worries remain about patient relationships, privacy, and fair use, which must be openly addressed.
AI can automate front-office tasks like phone answering, insurance approvals, and paperwork. These can help busy offices work better and improve care. Companies like Simbo AI are creating such solutions.
Building trust by being clear, keeping human checks, and following rules is key to using AI well. Knowing what doctors think and planning carefully will help healthcare groups use AI successfully.
With good planning and openness, AI can support healthcare without losing the human part that is central to good care.
Physicians have guarded enthusiasm for AI in healthcare, with nearly two-thirds seeing advantages, although only 38% were actively using it at the time of the survey.
Physicians are particularly concerned about AI’s impact on the patient-physician relationship and patient privacy, with 39% worried about relationship impacts and 41% about privacy.
The AMA emphasizes that AI must be ethical, equitable, responsible, and transparent, ensuring human oversight in clinical decision-making.
Physicians believe AI can enhance diagnostic ability (72%), work efficiency (69%), and clinical outcomes (61%).
Promising AI functionalities include documentation automation (54%), insurance prior authorization (48%), and creating care plans (43%).
Physicians want clear information on AI decision-making, efficacy demonstrated in similar practices, and ongoing performance monitoring.
Policymakers should ensure regulatory clarity, limit liability for AI performance, and promote collaboration between regulators and AI developers.
The AMA survey showed that 78% of physicians seek clear explanations of AI decisions, demonstrated usefulness, and performance monitoring information.
The AMA advocates for transparency in automated systems used by insurers, requiring disclosure of their operation and fairness.
Developers must conduct post-market surveillance to ensure continued safety and equity, making relevant information available to users.
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