A September 2026 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 5,000 U.S. adults found that 72% of patients believe it is extremely or very important for healthcare providers to disclose when they use AI tools in their care. The findings arrive as AI adoption in hospitals reaches 71%, according to 2024 data from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, up from 66% the year prior. Yet nearly half of patients - 46% - said they do not know whether their own providers are using AI.
Transparency gap between adoption and awareness
Only 16% of patients said a doctor has told them AI was used in their care. Another 33% believe their healthcare providers are not using AI at all, a figure that clashes with the documented spread of the technology across U.S. hospitals. The disconnect points to a communication gap that could erode trust as AI becomes more embedded in clinical and administrative workflows.
Patient concern varies by application. The highest levels of worry center on AI making diagnostic decisions (81%), analyzing medical scans (81%), and explaining medical test results (80%). AI note-taking during appointments drew concern from 72% of respondents. Behind-the-scenes tasks like prescription refill processing (64%) and appointment scheduling (56%) generated less demand for disclosure, though a notable 33% of patients said scheduling does not require notification.
Patients want a voice in how AI is used
More than half of respondents (53%) feel they have little to no say in how AI is used in their healthcare. Only 16% believe they have at least some control. When asked how much input they want, 63% said they would like more say, while just 21% expressed comfort with their current level of influence.
These numbers suggest that disclosure alone may not be enough. Patients appear to want a mechanism for consent and ongoing input, not just a one-time notice buried in intake paperwork. For healthcare organizations, the survey reinforces that transparency is becoming a prerequisite for maintaining patient confidence as AI tools - from Speech-To-Text transcription to diagnostic support - enter routine care.
Why this matters for healthcare professionals
Healthcare leaders and clinicians should expect rising patient expectations around AI disclosure. The survey makes clear that most patients want to know when and how AI is involved in their care, and many want a say in that use. Proactively explaining which tools are in play - and documenting patient consent - can help preserve trust and avoid the perception that AI is being deployed without oversight. For teams evaluating or deploying AI for Healthcare, the data also underscores the importance of continuous accuracy monitoring, particularly for transcription and chatbot tools that directly affect patient records and communication.
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