A new Consumer Health Care survey from Deloitte shows that consumers “continue to be optimistic” about the potential of generative (gen) AI in healthcare settings. Deloitte's website has the release.
The need for consumer trust in AI is “paramount,” as healthcare organizations specifically handle “highly sensitive, personal data, and decisions based on AI outputs can have life-altering consequences on people and their health.”
According to the new survey, which asked more than 2,000 U.S. adults in March 2024 about gen AI in healthcare, 66% of respondents “think it could potentially reduce extended wait times for doctor’s appointments and lower individual health care costs.” Actual adoption of gen AI for health reasons has “remained flat” over the last year, dropping from 40% in 2023 to 37% in 2024. More consumers chose “I don’t trust this information” as a reason for not adopting gen AI in this year’s survey than in 2023’s.
In fact, consumers’ distrust in gen AI-provided information has “increased among all age groups, with a particularly sharp increase among two key demographic groups: millennials and baby boomers.”
It is worth noting that consumers are “generally using free and publicly available gen AI tools” which may “sometimes provide accurate information.” Deloitte suggests that clinicians can be used as “change agents” in educating consumers about “potential advantages of provider curated and monitored gen AI tools.” For now, 41% of physicians have concerns about patient privacy when it comes to AI tools, and 39% “were worried about the impact on the patient-physician relationship.” Deloitte also suggests the need for transparency with consumers about when gen AI tools are used, and recommends enlisting community partners as advocates of the technology.
