AI Familiarity Influences Healthcare Comfort Levels: GlobalData

The healthcare sector is experiencing significant changes due to factors such as aging populations, increased instances of chronic diseases, and shifts in lifestyle choices. In this evolving landscape, technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is becoming increasingly crucial. A recent survey conducted by GlobalData has emphasized that patients' familiarity with AI has a substantial impact on their comfort level when contemplating healthcare facilities that incorporate this technology.

GlobalData’s recent survey, ‘Thematic Intelligence: AI in Clinical Practice – Patient Perspective 2023’, revealed that 60 per cent of the surveyed patients who were familiar with AI were either very or quite comfortable with using AI-driven healthcare facilities, while of the ones who were not familiar with AI, only 7 per cent shared the same level of comfort.

 “AI is already successfully used to detect image-based diseases such as cancer and the technology is continuously evolving to enable much wider use cases within healthcare. Successful use cases can encourage further adoption and investment in this technology,” said Urte Jakimaviciute, Senior Director of Market Research at GlobalData.

Jakimaviciute further said, “Together with the development of a robust regulatory framework, it is imperative to prioritize patient education regarding the technology. This education should aim to enhance comprehension of AI’s utilization, its potential advantages, and associated adoption risks, ultimately fostering increased trust in AI. Enhanced knowledge empowers individuals to make informed decisions and mitigate biases linked to this technology.”

Based on the survey data, younger patients, aged between 18 and 55 years, found to be familiar with AI compared to their older counterparts (those aged 56 years and above). More than 50 per cent of the younger respondents considered themselves moderately or very familiar with AI. This generational difference can be attributed to the fact that younger individuals tend to be exposed to technology at an earlier stage in life, leading to greater knowledge and confidence in technologies such as AI.

“While AI adoption is inevitable, it must be inclusive. Even though younger generations may drive the use and adoption of AI, building a fair and ethical AI system will need intergenerational collaboration. AI use will need to address generation-wide issues, and therefore it is essential to ensure that all generations can benefit from the adoption of AI,” Jakimaviciute added.

574 patients from the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, Brazil, Canada, India, and Mexico were surveyed between July 2023 and August 2023.