57% of patients say yes to AI in the exam room if it means more time with their doctor

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As artificial intelligence (AI) continues making inroads into health care, a new national survey suggests patients may be more ready for the technology than physicians might expect — provided it helps physicians spend less time behind screens and more time face to face.

The survey, released June 24 by health IT company ModMed, found that 57% of U.S. patients support the use of AI in clinical settings if it leads to more face-to-face interaction with their physicians. That support jumps when the technology is used behind the scenes for administrative tasks — but patients remain wary when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.

“For too long, technology has put screens and paperwork between doctors and their patients,” Dan Cane, co-founder and co-CEO of ModMed, said in a statement. “Our vision is to remove those barriers.”

The report, "AI at the doctor's office: What patients really think," was built on responses from 2,000 adults who visited a physician in the past year, underscoring a key message for physicians and practice managers: patients want innovation that feels personal — not clinical detachment powered by code.

Less clicking, more connecting

Three out of four respondents (77%) said their appointments lasted less than 15 minutes on average. Nearly one-third (28%) said physicians spent between 7 and 12 of those minutes focused on documentation.

In that context, it’s not hard to understand why AI-powered ambient documentation that transcribes and organizes patient conversations into electronic health records (EHRs), is gaining favor. For many patients, the idea of AI fades into the background if the result is more undivided attention from their physician.

“Patients want a more human-centered experience, and they see AI as a solution, provided it’s transparent,” Cane said.

Even so, the report suggests that AI should support — not substitute — the physician-patient relationship. More than 80% of patients said they want to be informed when AI is used, and 55% said that matters especially if it’s involved in diagnosis or treatment planning.

Comfort with administrative AI — not clinical

ModMed’s findings suggest patients are increasingly open to AI for operational tasks. Patients were most comfortable with AI assisting in prescription refills (42%), appointment scheduling and reminders (35%) and check-in processes (31%).

That said, attitudes shift sharply when AI takes on more clinical roles. A majority of patients (55%) expressed discomfort with AI being used to diagnose or generate treatment plans.

Still, patients aren’t rejecting AI altogether. Instead, they’re drawing lines between support roles that lighten the administrative load and core clinical decisions that still require a human touch.

Trust hinges on transparency and safety

Patients appear to be placing more trust in technology — but they expect guardrails. Eighty-three percent of respondents said AI used for clinical care purposes must meet high safety and accuracy standards, and 72% want to know the source of the data used to train AI models.

The desire for disclosure also extends to communication style. While 40% of patients prefer to hear directly from their physician or care team about AI usage, others would accept a signed consent form (31%) or a note on their physician’s website (27%).

“Patients overwhelmingly desire transparency when it comes to AI in health care,” the report noted. “They expect clear communication about AI’s role in diagnosis, treatment and even follow-up care.”

AI and financial tools: Proceed with caution

The survey also explored patients’ comfort levels with AI in billing and insurance — and got generally mixed feedback.

• 57% support AI for speeding up claims processing
• 24% are okay with AI helping appeal denied claims
• Just 18% are comfortable with AI accessing or using stored credit card information

Trust, the report emphasized, is still developing in this area. Physicians may need to introduce financial automation slowly, focused on backend workflows first before extending into patient-facing payment tools.

Practical implications for practices

The report offers clear guidance for physicians and practice managers: practices that implement AI to reduce physician burden, communicate openly and preserve the human side of care are likely to see the greatest patient acceptance.

It also presents a business case. As staffing shortages persist and documentation demands climb, ambient AI tools may free up valuable physician time — time that patients are asking for.

For now, patients appear ready to say yes to AI — as long as it doesn’t mean saying goodbye to their physician.