New survey demonstrates physician support for AI solutions

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Elation Health’s most recent survey of 100 primary care physicians (PCPs) looked to gather a more complete consensus around artificial intelligence (AI) technologies’ implementation in health care. Specifically, the survey was intended to identify the role that AI solutions have already played in PCP’s cognitive unburdening, the extent to which these solutions have met expectations and PCP’s hopes for the future. Not only did PCPs report that AI solutions were already easing administrative workloads, they shared their beliefs that future AI developments would result in improved clinical and financial outcomes.

According to the survey, 66% of PCPs believed that AI solutions have already significantly decreased their administrative burdens. Two out of three PCPs believed that AI would transform their practice over the course of the next year, and 65% expressed the belief that AI solutions should be developed by their electronic health record (EHR) vendor and built into workflows, for maximum efficiency.

Additionally, 63% of PCPs had faith that AI will one day have a meaningful impact on clinical outcomes for patients, with 66% believing that practice workflows will be significantly improved through AI implementation over the next two years. A majority (54%) of surveyed PCPs were also positive that AI would drive stronger financial performance for their practice over the upcoming year.

“AI scribing finally gives [PCPs] an affordable way to make greater time to care for their patients. And while it creates more space for the human experience necessary to promote better health, it also simultaneously captures more comprehensive and accurate documentation of that exchange than anything ever tried before,” Sara Pastoor, MD, MHA, FAAFP, head of primary care advancement at Elation Health, said in a news release. “Physicians are reclaiming their personal time, reducing their stress levels, enjoying their work more and doing all of these things with greater time to care, more accurate documentation as well as increased opportunities to grow and sustain their businesses – it’s a win, win!”

Despite the majority of PCPs seeing potential in AI solutions, only 42% of respondents believe that patient outcomes will see drastic improvement over the next two years, and 35% report that AI solutions have already improved their patients’ health outcomes. Just 33% of PCPs think that AI solutions will increase access to care over the same period.

According to the survey, PCPs who reported that AI solutions were not already reducing clinical documentation burdens listed “poor integration with existing systems” as a top reason. In addition to the 65% of PCPs who believe that AI solutions should be developed by their EHR vendor and built into workflows, 83% of PCPs believe that AI solutions should be designed by health care experts to ensure that they’re applicable to real-world clinical care.

“The survey reveals a field in transition, where physicians are excited about the opportunities AI presents but are also navigating the challenges of adoption and implementation,” the authors of the survey wrote. “As AI continues to evolve, innovators have the potential to unlock the promise of AI and help drive a more efficient, sustainable and joyful future in medicine.”