What you need to know:
– A new study from healthcare technology leader ModMed reveals that while patients remain cautious about artificial intelligence making clinical decisions, the majority are willing to accept it in the laboratory if it leads to quality time with a doctor.
– A survey of 2,000 US patients will benchmark public sentiment and expectations for the ways AI is used in medical practices, providing a roadmap for how technology can be implemented to build and improve patient experiences.
– The findings show a significant change in the patient's perspective compared to the 2023 Pew Research Center survey. New data from Modmed show that over half of patients (57%) support AI applications such as ambienting solutions when it implies face-to-face interactions with physicians.
Trade AI for better quality time
The desire for more direct involvement with physicians is a key factor in the acceptance of patients with AI. This study highlights general frustration.
- Three out of three respondents (77%) said they spent less than 15 minutes with the doctor in the examination room.
- Almost a third (28%) of those surveyed reported that doctors spent 7-12 valuable document-focused minutes during their visit.
Currently, a majority of patients (57%) say that doctors prefer to use AI in their documentation if it increases facial time with them.
A clear line between management and clinical AI
The level of comfort for a patient varies greatly depending on the AI application. There is a persistent discomfort in the role of AI in clinical decision-making, but many patients are used for administrative tasks.
- Management Support: Patients will accept AI to assist with tasks such as prescription refill (42%), appointment scheduling and reminding (35%), and assisting patient check-in (31%).
- Clinical decision: The majority of patients (55%) remain uncomfortable in the physician's office to use AI to make a diagnosis or formulate a treatment plan.
Demand for transparency and governance
The study revealed that patients expect to be stored in the loop when AI is involved in care. This desire for transparency is an important factor in building trust.
- 81% of patients want to tell them if their doctor's office is using AI.
- If AI is helping with a diagnosis or treatment, 55% expect to be notified.
- When AI is used to follow-up such as lab results, almost half (46%) want disclosure.
- As for how they are notified, 40% would prefer to hear directly from the doctor or care team about their use of AI, while others prefer to sign a consent form (31%) or review the information on the doctor's website (27%).
Beyond transparency, patients want strong surveillance. A considerable 83% of respondents believe that AI used in diagnosis and treatment is necessary to meet safety and accuracy criteria, while 72% feel that it is important to know the cause of training data in AI models.
Earn trust with financial AI tools
Patients' feelings extend to the financial aspects of healthcare, where trust is paramount. Approximately one-third of patients (34%) are worried because AI can access their credit card information. However, the majority (57%) use AI to accelerate claim processing, while small groups (24%) are happy that AI will help appeals for denied insurance claims.
“For too long, technology has been putting screens and documents between doctors and their patients,” said Dan Cane, co-founder and co-CEO of ModMed. “Our vision is to remove these barriers, which allows physicians and providers to focus on patients, knowing that intelligent systems will function quietly in the background, predict needs and streamline the process.
