AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new quantitative study has found that despite broad optimism about the benefits of the use of Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, those on the front lines of delivery have grave concerns about its implementation. The study of 501 clinicians in the U.S. was developed by Day One Strategy Ltd, a global data, insight and advisory firm, and powered by QuestionPro, a global provider of online survey and research services that help companies make better decisions through data.
The survey titled “ClinicAI Companions” revealed significant, but understandable, gaps between how clinicians use Generative AI in their personal lives, what they believe the benefits are for their practices, their concerns about implementation and their confidence in management/leadership to get it right. A free download of the full study is available online at: https://www.questionpro.com/ebook/clinicai-companions-report/
Nearly three in four (72%) of Clinicians have experience using Large Language Model (LLM) Generative AI programs, with ChatGPT being the most used by far. Google LLMs, such as Bard (recently rebranded to Gemini) and Med-PaLM are the next most popular. More than half believe AI can save them time (57%) and that it will transform healthcare delivery (56%), while exactly half (50%) believe AI use can help them deliver better patient care.
"As a Clinician, I am enthusiastic about generative AI’s potential to transform the healthcare experience, including reducing burnout for physicians by alleviating administrative tasks and allowing them to focus on connecting and caring for patients,” said Dr. Hemalee Patel, a Digital Health Leader and Internist from a leading Primary Care practice. “As healthcare providers and as a society, we must integrate technology responsibly to deliver better patient care and preserve this irreplaceable power of human-to-human interaction."
Yet despite high levels of personal use and optimism for its future impact in healthcare, clinicians remain wary of using AI for healthcare in the near term. The path forward will require boosting trust, training and regulation.
Trust: Clinicians don’t trust the technology: there is a higher level of mistrust (27%) than trust (22%) in the current AI algorithms. They don’t trust management: two-thirds don’t trust their hospital/clinic leaders. And they don’t trust that AI will reduce liability: 4 in 10 believe that AI use will put them at greater risk of liability.
Training: Nearly half (42%) of clinicians are unprepared for implementation of Gen AI into their practice but 50% agree that implementation will require new training. Given the significant concerns about liability, it’s clear that not only will the technology need to improve, but that clinicians must believe that they are trained in its proper use.
Regulation and governance: Regulation, policy and governance are a must to increase adoption. The survey found less than 1 in 5 clinics are prioritizing Gen AI in 2024 strategic objectives and only a tenth have seen a policy on the use of Gen AI in their clinic/hospital. Meanwhile, a solid majority (6 in 10) of clinicians agree that AI in healthcare needs government regulation.
“Most health systems and institutions are missing opportunities to harness the benefits of Gen AI benefits for increased efficiencies, improved patient outcomes, better quality care, and increased equity for all people,” said Dr. Patricia Mechael, CEO, health.enabled and Senior Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Global Digital Health Innovation. “Physician and patient engagement and trust can only be achieved through strategies that articulate a vision for how, why, and where AI will be used supported by policies, regulations, ethical considerations, transparency and accountability, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of Gen AI for health.”
“The findings from the ClinicAI Companions study are promising and provide a clear call to action: although clinicians are engaging with Generative AI they need top-down guidance and practical support to fully harness this opportunity,” said Reena Sooch, Partner at Day One Strategy and Global Head of Digital Strategy and AI. “It is an opportunity for Providers, technology and health companies to think about how they integrate AI, responsibly train Clinicians and give transparency on the limitations of the LLM models.”
This online fieldwork was conducted by the QuestionPro Research Services team January 2 – 17, 2024. A total of 501 Clinicians completed the survey (PCPs = 201, Oncologists = 100, Cardiologists = 100 and Endocrinologists = 100). The modeled error estimate for this survey is plus or minus 4 percentage points at a 95% confidence.
“It’s rewarding as researchers and data collectors to get a meaningful understanding of how clinicians and healthcare specialists truly feel about new technologies in healthcare, given the heavy focus on AI and LLM,” said Arti Bedi Pullins, President & Chief Healthcare Officer – Americas at QuestionPro. “Our comprehensive data-collection platforms give us and our partners like Day One the ability to gain clinical expertise focused on improving patient-care and delivering superior health outcomes.”
About Day One Strategy
Bringing together technology and human intelligence to drive actionable insights, Day One Strategy is a global strategy, data, and insights firm specializing in healthcare. With a team of healthcare experts, the firm empowers healthcare organizations to navigate the complexities of launching new breakthrough treatments in medicine and digital solutions. For more information about Day One Strategy, please visit: https://www.dayonestrategy.com/
About QuestionPro
Founded in 2006, QuestionPro is a global provider of online survey and research services that help companies make better decisions through data. Our fully integrated online platform includes surveys, research & insights, customer experience (CX) and workforce/employee experience software. We additionally offer polling, journey mapping, employee 360s, and data visualization. Our clientele ranges from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, who rely on us for insights about customers, employees, and the marketplace. With offices in the US, Mexico, Europe, Canada, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and India, our customers have 24/7 access to highly trained support specialists and engineers. More information is available at www.questionpro.com.
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