Historically, trust between doctors and patients has grown, especially as care delivery became more advanced and mortality rates decreased. But more recently, the COVID-19 crisis has been associated with a decrease in trust in physicians and hospitals, according to some research, and has threatened public confidence in the U.S. healthcare system. 

Many healthcare experts see promise in artificial intelligence – and hope AI will enable providers to reach more patients and improve health outcomes. And, of course, some provider skepticism notwithstanding, AI tools continue to proliferate across the healthcare ecosystem.

But according to recent research into patient attitudes on AI, providers should be thinking carefully about how they deploy those tools if they want to preserve patient trust.

Earlier this fall, Mark Polyak, president of analytics at IPSOS, and Dr. Lukasz Kowalczyk, a physician at Peak Gastroenterology Associates, spoke on a panel discussion at the HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum that explored patients' perspectives and attitudes about healthcare AI. Above all, they're seeking healthcare interactions and experiences that are transparent and personalized, experts on the panel said.

We spoke with Polyak and Kowalczyk again recently for a more detailed and data-driven conversation about what patients expect from AI in their own care.

They highlighted new data that suggests frustration over the inability of the medical community to solve endemic problems, such as cancer and mental health disparities. But they also highlighted some key areas where AI is gaining favor with patients. (For example, what people like the most about generative AI is: 24/7 availability, timely responses and the ability to ask unlimited questions and get personalized information.)

Here's what Polyak and Kowalczyk had to say about research findings and real-world experience with patients and AI.

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Talking points:

• AI validation and social proofing.
• What do patients think about the use of AI in medical decisions.
• Expediency as a factor of implementation.
• Well-defined use cases and meaningful impact on populations that need AI the most.
• Who are we doing AI for, what do they want from it, and in what context do they want it?

More about this episode:

How responsible AI can boost patient outcomes

With AI, keep patient satisfaction top of mind, says health IT investor

Developing trust in healthcare AI, step by step

Explainer: Thinking through the safe use of AI

HIMSSCast: Where population health is getting a boost from artificial intelligence