Written by Crystal Lindell
Many of us use artificial intelligence (AI) in our daily lives, including learning more about our medical conditions. However, when it comes to actually using AI in their medical care, patients are less open to AI.
According to a new poll by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centersurveyed 1,007 adults nationwide about their opinions on AI in healthcare.
They found that only 42% of adults accept that AI will be used as part of healthcare in 2026. This is down from 52% who supported AI in 2024. The belief that AI can make healthcare more efficient also fell from 64% to 55%.
However, the survey found that more than half (51%) of adults still use AI to help make important health decisions without consulting a medical professional.
Participants said they use AI for a variety of reasons.
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62% use AI to understand symptoms
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44% use AI to explain test results and medical diagnoses
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25% use AI to compare treatments and help make treatment decisions
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20% will use AI to prepare for upcoming medical appointments
According to Ravi Tripathi, MD, chief medical information officer at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, the decline in patient trust in AI is comparable to the natural “hype cycle” of any new technology.
“When we first see something new and shiny, we think it’s going to fix the world, replace medicine, and solve all medical problems,” Tripathi said. “People are starting to learn that artificial intelligence has its pros and cons, and that there are real cases and places for it to be used.”
Tripathi predicts that trust in AI will increase over the next two to five years as people become more familiar with it and as it becomes more common in medical technology.
But he cautioned patients against relying too heavily on AI for their own medical research.
“We know that AI can be inaccurate or hallucinate 2% of the time,” Tripathi said. “Doctors aren’t using AI 100%. We don’t trust AI 100%. I’m very concerned about patients following AI. Artificial intelligence can’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Tripathi suggests working with doctors and using AI. AI helps patients collect their health data, explain test results and diagnoses, and identify questions to ask their healthcare providers.
“There is great value in using artificial intelligence as augmented intelligence,” Tripathi said. “Patients should monitor what the technology is doing, but should discuss the final plan with their healthcare team.”
Patients have mixed feelings about AI, but doctors seem to be more tolerant of it.
According to recent research According to the American Medical Association, 81% of physicians use AI to stay up to date on medical research and assist with record keeping. This is about double the rate in 2023, when the AMA first surveyed doctors about their use of AI.
Although 76% of physicians say AI technology has the potential to improve patient care, approximately 40% say they feel both hopeful and nervous about AI technology, citing concerns about patient privacy and the integrity of the patient-physician relationship.
The global AI healthcare market is expected to reach $868 billion by 2030, and AI’s influence on the overall healthcare market will more than double from around 15% today to more than 30% by 2030.
