People dislike AI-driven healthcare.

Less than one-third of people comfortable with AI-led primary care appointments, survey finds

According to a new survey, less than one-third of people are comfortable with their primary care doctor’s appointment being led by artificial intelligence (AI). The survey also revealed that women are more skeptical than men about the new frontier of healthcare technology.

While younger people seem to be slightly more comfortable with relying on AI in healthcare compared to older generations, the majority of both sexes expressed skepticism towards AI-led primary care appointments and therapy appointments. However, the severity and percentage of these concerns varied.

Gender differences in comfort levels

An overwhelming 70% of women reported feeling uncomfortable with the prospect of an AI-led primary care appointment, whereas only 59% of men shared the same concern.

When it came to AI-led therapy appointments, 75% of women said they would be uncomfortable, with 50% of them stating they were “not at all comfortable.” In contrast, 68% of men expressed discomfort, with 38% of them strongly uncomfortable.

This gender gap may be partly attributed to the fact that 47% of females reported seeing a doctor a few times a year, compared to 35% of males surveyed. Studies have shown that women seek both physical and mental healthcare more frequently than men, and they are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and other mental health conditions.

Survey details

The survey was conducted by a team of epidemiologists from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. It interviewed over 3,000 adults, including 357 healthcare professionals, in May.

Among healthcare workers, 66% believe that the role of AI will increase over the next five years. However, a plurality of 42% believe that the growing reliance on AI will have both positive and negative effects. Additionally, one-third of healthcare workers expressed the belief that AI will do more harm than good in the healthcare industry.

Only 14% of healthcare workers reported using AI within the categories of diagnosis, communication, and treatment.

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