The data: 86% of physician practices are comfortable using AI to support clinical review tasks like identifying missed details in patient records, according to new research from athenahealth.

• That includes 26% who are fully comfortable delegating that work to AI, while 60% are partially comfortable delegating it.

Why it matters: Doctors are starting to trust AI for more than just administrative work. They are now using it as a digital second opinion for patient care.

• 55% say AI improves data consolidation across disparate sources, including labs and imaging, per athenhealth.
• Athenehealth’s research found that 62% of physicians used four or more AI-enabled tools in the past year across scheduling, documentation, intake, clinical support, and revenue workflows.
• In a recent DHC Group/Sermo survey, 56% of physicians said AI had suggested a medication they wouldn’t have considered. 26% noted that while AI didn’t introduce a new option, it did confirm their thinking.
• Almost two thirds (63%) of healthcare professionals are optimistic that AI will improve patient outcomes, per a Philip’s Future Health Index 2025 report published in May.

While patients often rely on AI to answer their questions about health symptoms or medical advice, they’re more skeptical about doctors using AI to make medical decisions.

• Consumers view healthcare providers who use AI as less trustworthy, less competent, and less empathetic than doctors who don’t use AI, according to research published in JAMA Network.

Implications for healthcare providers: Physicians and practice leaders are shifting from broader skepticism about AI’s role in patient care, and moving toward comfortability with using AI for selective clinical supporting roles. While their acceptance of AI for clinical support marks a meaningful shift, patients may still be unsure. To maintain trust, providers will need to clearly communicate when and how AI is used as part of their care and reinforce that medical decisions ultimately rest with healthcare professionals.

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