News: Doctors growing more interested in AI usage, survey shows

Physicians’ enthusiasm and interest surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare workplace seems to be growing, according to a new American Medical Association (AMA) survey. The survey report says that 35% of doctors were more enthusiastic than concerned about AI in healthcare, compared to 30% in 2024.  Only 25% felt more concerned than enthusiastic, which is down from 29% in 2024, Medscape Medical News reported.

The survey was answered by 1,183 practicing physicians, of which 68% said they saw a definite or some advantage to using AI tools (up from 63% a year earlier). Also, 68% said their workplaces already were using AI vs. 38% in the 2023 report. Another 68% reported a definite or some advantage in AI applications for patient care.

When asked what they saw as the biggest opportunity for AI, the most common answer was “address(ing) administrative burdens through automation.” This finding echoes sentiments found in Medscape Medical News’ AI Adoption in Healthcare Report 2024, where transcribing patient notes and business meetings and creating routine patient communications were the leading applications reported by physicians whose workplaces were already using AI.

Increased oversight was ranked as the number one regulatory action needed to increase trust in adopting AI tools. Clear descriptions, real-world examples, and visual aids were rated as the most useful for conveying the purpose of AI tools.

Editor’s note: To read Medscape Medical News’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the AMA survey, click here.