AI saves clinicians time but most lack training, survey finds

AI saves clinicians time but most lack training, survey finds June 9 : AI is saving clinicians time, but the majority of healthcare professionals say training in the technology is inadequate, inconsistent or unavailable, a global survey by Philips showed on Tuesday. The study, Philips Future Health Index, was carried out through two quantitative surveys, one with 2,011 healthcare professionals and another with 20,085 patients across 10 countries. • Most AI use cases for healthcare professionals include using it as a "buddy" to discuss work-related ideas with, transcribing clinical notes or scheduling patient appointments • On the clinical side, AI can warn about dangerous drug combinations, suggest diagnoses based on symptoms or help analyse X-rays or scans • Of all surveyed professionals, 46 per cent reported annual time savings of at least 132 hours on average, while 50 per cent said AI had increased their capacity to see patients • Nurses and doctors said AI helped them be more precise and careful, better keep up with research and clinical developments, and think through cases in detail • But the use of AI has outpaced adoption by organisations, with 64 per cent of clinicians turning to their personal AI tools when workplace options do not meet their needs • "The organizations aren't moving fast enough to provide the tools and the training," Philips' Chief Innovation Officer Shez Partovi told Reuters • 70 per cent of healthcare professionals said that training for AI-enabled tools was unavailable, limited or inconsistent at their organizations • "Expanding structured, role-specific training will help clinicians develop the digital skills and clinical judgment needed to work effectively with AI," the report said • Almost all professionals, 90 per cent, said it was essential to keep a human in the loop as AI advances; 86 per cent said all AI outputs required human oversight