AI adoption accelerates across medical practices, survey shows

AI adoption accelerates as practices look for relief from administrative load

A new survey of 887 health care professionals attending the 2025 eClinicalWorks and healow National Conference in Orlando this past September suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) is steadily reshaping daily operations in ambulatory care.

Half of practices reported using at least one AI tool. Many said these technologies are beginning to chip away at some of the most persistent administrative pressures facing primary care.

The survey included physicians, executives, front-office staff, billers and technical support staff from practices of all sizes. Respondents cited time savings, fewer manual tasks and quicker access to information as the most immediate benefits.

Documentation and fax automation lead early gains

Among those who already use AI tools, documentation and fax management appear to drive the clearest day-to-day improvements.

Sunoh.ai — an ambient documentation assistant — has become one of the most widely used tools among AI-adopting practices.

According to the survey, 72% of AI users rely on the tool for clinical documentation support, with two-thirds saying it saves them one to four hours or more per day.

Fax management, often an under-looked but time-intensive task, it also seeing measurable efficiency gains. About 64% of Image AI users reported saving at least an hour daily through automated sorting and processing of incoming faxes.

Exploring the broader uses of AI

Beyond documentation and fax workflows, practices are increasingly looking into tools that streamline patient communication and administrative follow-up. The survey found that 72% of respondents plan to adopt healow Genie, an AI-powered contact center tool designed to manage routine patient inquiries and reduce call volume pressure on front-offices.

AI also appears to be taking root in clinical record retrieval and financial processes. More than 57% of AI users said they use PRISMA AI to collect external clinical records more quickly — a task that many practices say normally consumes up to two hours daily.

Meanwhile, over half of all respondents said they plan to adopt AI for revenue cycle management (RCM), with most expecting improvements in accuracy and revenue capture.

Ambient computing, smart glasses

The survey's follow-up research focused on ambient computing — a category that includes smart-glasses-enabled displays, automated clinical summaries and hands-free access to schedules and messages.

Roughly 76% of respondents agreed that smart-glasses-based tools could improve care delivery and patient outcomes.

The smart-glasses platform highlighted in the report includes a daily Sunoh briefing, hands-free notifications and at-a-glance clinical summaries via cards technology.

While many of these tools are still emerging, respondents are optimistic that they could reduce the cognitive load of navigating electronic health record (EHR) screens and inboxes.

ROI, patient experience and integration

The strongest motivators for adopting AI tools, according to respondents, include reduced administrative burden, improved patient experience, demonstrated ROI and strong integration with existing systems.

Several of the tools highlighted in the report — including Sunoh.ai and healow Genie — are marketed as EHR-agnostic, which may help lower barriers for practices using non-eClinicalWorks systems.

Despite the generally positive sentiment in the report, some respondents voiced concerns surrounding training, implementation time and ensuring responsible use.

Looking ahead

While not all practices are ready fully embrace AI, the report demonstrates a steady and measurable shift in how ambulatory organizations are looking at the technology.

Early adopters report reclaimed time, streamlined workflows and fewer repetitive tasks — all trends that could influence broader adoption as practices evaluate AI's role in their clinical and operational strategy.

As tools continue to evolve, practices will likely face decisions about when — not whether — to incorporate AI into their daily operations.