4 important AMA insights into physician thinking on, behavior with healthcare AI

Two in five practicing physicians are equal parts enthused over and worried about AI in healthcare. That’s the same ratio the American Medical Association turned up the previous time it conducted its Physician Sentiment Survey.

However, the segment of responding doctors whose excitement exceeded their trepidation grew from 30% in 2023 to 35% in 2024. And the portion of those more worried than eager dropped from 29% to 25%.

The AMA’s latest effort rustled up full responses from almost 1,200 physicians some time in 2024. Along with the key survey findings, the survey report—released this week—offers four key observations. Straight from the report, these are: 

1. Physician sentiment toward AI is trending positively, with growing recognition of its benefits and increased enthusiasm.

A growing majority of physicians recognize AI’s benefits, with 68% in 2024 reporting at least some advantage in patient care (up from 63% in 2023).

In 2024, 36% of physicians reported feeling more excited than concerned about AI (up from 30% in 2023).

2. There has been substantial growth in physician use of AI in practice.

AI use cases nearly doubled (66% in 2024 vs. 38% in 2023). The dramatic drop in non-users (62% to 33%) in just one year is impressive and unusually fast for healthcare technology adoption.

Significantly more physicians are currently using AI for visit documentation, discharge summaries and care plans, and medical research and standard of care summaries than in 2023.

3. Addressing administrative burden remains a key area of opportunity for AI.

Most physicians (57%) view addressing administrative burden through automation as the biggest area of opportunity for AI.

Near-term adoption is focused on use cases to help with documentation.

4. Physicians still have key needs to build trust and advance adoption of AI.

Physicians emphasize the need for a feedback loop, data privacy assurances, seamless workflow integration, and adequate training and education as critical factors for AI adoption.

Nearly half of physicians (47%) ranked increased oversight as the number one regulatory action needed to increase trust in adopting AI tools.

The survey also showed:

• A majority (68%) of physicians surveyed in 2024 indicated they see definite or some advantage to using AI tools, up slightly from 65% in 2023.
   
• About three in five (66%) physicians surveyed in 2024 indicated they currently use AI in their practice, up significantly from 38% in 2023.
   
• The top area of opportunity for AI according to 57% of physicians surveyed in 2024 was “addressing administrative burden through automation,” up slightly from 56% in 2023.
   
• According to physicians surveyed in 2024, the top attributes required to advance physician adoption of AI tools were a designated feedback channel (88%), data privacy assurances (87%), and EHR integration (84%). 

In 2023, AMA notes, the top factors influencing adoption were data privacy assurances (87%), not being held liable for AI model errors (87%), and medical liability coverage (86%).

The 2024 survey “illustrates that physicians are increasingly intrigued by the assistive role of health AI and the potential of AI-enabled tools to reduce administrative burdens, enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalize treatments,” AMA immediate past president Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, comments in a news release. However, he adds: 

‘[T]here remain unresolved physician concerns with the design of health AI and the potential of flawed AI-enabled tools to put privacy at risk, integrate poorly with EHR systems, offer incorrect conclusions or recommendations and introduce new liability concerns. Increased oversight [is] the top regulatory action needed to increase physician confidence and adoption of AI.’

Read the full report.