Physicians’ use of healthcare augmented intelligence (AI) is growing rapidly, but a recent analysis of survey data found that there’s a gap in AI adoption between doctors who are in private practice and those working as employed physicians. The American Medical Association (AMA) conducted a survey to assess the level of AI use among physicians.
According to the AMA survey findings, 72% of employed physicians use healthcare AI, while 64% of those in private practice use it. One major issue contributing to this gap is cost. Employed physicians often have organizations covering some of the costs, making it more accessible to them. In contrast, private practice physicians must cover these expenses themselves.
Private practice physicians tend to be more committed to AI tools they choose due to their autonomy and control over decision-making processes. However, cost remains a factor for employed physicians as well.
The survey also found that improved efficiency drives adoption of healthcare AI. Physicians use various AI functions, such as patient-facing chatbots, translation services, summaries of medical research, and assistive diagnosis. A notable gap between the two groups lies in the use of patient-facing chatbots, with 12% of employed physicians using them compared to only 8% of private practice doctors.
Despite the initial large gap, further analysis revealed that differences between responses were relatively small. The AMA acknowledges that private practice environments are staying on top of healthcare AI innovations, which is a positive sign.
Source: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital-health/ready-health-ai-it-may-depend-your-practice-setting