What Healthcare Professionals Want From AI in Practice

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common in healthcare, but adoption does not necessarily mean complete trust. A 2026 Healio survey of 618 U.S. healthcare professionals looked at how AI is being used in practice and what clinicians need from these tools before they can rely on them more fully.

The survey found that roughly 7 in 10 healthcare professionals are already using AI in their work. However, clinicians remain cautious about its role in patient care. Clinical accuracy ranked as a leading priority, along with strong privacy protections. Healthcare professionals also want tools that can fit into the systems and processes they already use.

Where AI Is Being Used

Current uses of AI extend across clinical and administrative work. Documentation and note generation was the most commonly reported use at 55%. Clinical decision support followed at 32%, while 27% reported using AI for research or literature review.

Despite growing adoption, trust remains a concern. Only 18% of respondents reported strong trust in AI for clinical decision-making. Among the concerns identified by healthcare professionals were inaccurate AI-generated information and potential legal liability.

Training is another area where healthcare organizations have room to improve. Only 11% of respondents reported receiving structured AI training from their institution, even as these tools become more common in healthcare settings.

What This Means for Healthcare

The survey suggests that healthcare professionals are open to AI, but they want its growth to be thoughtful. More than 90% of respondents believe clinicians should play a central role in the design and selection of AI tools. At the same time, 83% believe AI will become an essential part of healthcare within the next five years.

For healthcare organizations, the opportunity is not simply to adopt new technology. It is to determine where AI can meaningfully support healthcare professionals while maintaining appropriate clinical oversight.

As AI continues to develop, the perspective of the professionals using these tools will remain important. Technology can support the work of healthcare teams, but the experience and judgment of healthcare professionals remain at the center of patient care.

At IPHA, we recognize the importance of giving healthcare professionals the resources they need to provide effective patient care. As new technologies become part of clinical practice, thoughtful implementation can help ensure these tools support providers and the patients they serve.

Source: Laboy, Lucas, Richard Smith, and Jonathan B. Singer. “Healio Survey: What Health Care Professionals Want From AI Tools in Practice.” Healio, June 2, 2026.

Read the original article: https://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20260602/healio-survey-what-health-care-professionals-want-from-ai-tools-in-practice