AI adoption in healthcare rises to 35% in 2024, says AMA

The American Medical Association (AMA) has released new research suggesting that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare, with data revealing an increase in physician adoption of AI tools.

The findings indicate that AI adoption in healthcare has risen to 35% in 2024, up from 30% in 2023. Furthermore, 68% of physicians surveyed see advantages in using AI tools within the healthcare sector. This growing trend towards AI adoption is also reflected in the reported increased usage of AI from 38% of physicians in 2023 to 66% in 2024.

Dr Jag Dhaliwal, Medical Director at the Melbourne-based telehealth provider Alternaleaf, noted that these findings are indicative of potential future developments in Australia. "The findings show practical applications of what's to come in Australia, with the experience overseas highlighting key trends in the healthtech space. AI has a place in healthcare to streamline operations for doctors and enhance patient care for better outcomes," Dr Jag stated.

Myles Lawlor, Vice President of Technology and Product at Alternaleaf, highlighted the enthusiasm among physicians regarding AI's role in reducing administrative burdens and improving diagnostic accuracy through AI-enabled tools. "AI has the potential to ironically make clinical appointments more human, by removing some of the administration burden. The availability of large data sets combined with the rapid evolution of computational data science, offer promising opportunities for extracting new inferences and actionable insights that have a potential to significantly improve health outcomes," Lawlor explained.

The usage of AI in healthcare is seen as an opportunity to create a more sophisticated, data-enriched environment, which supports improved clinical decision-making. Additionally, advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, utilised in telehealth, could address the demand versus supply issue in healthcare services. AI could aid in developing algorithms to effectively match care providers with the appropriate clinical skills required by patients.

The AMA survey further indicated that most physicians consider addressing administrative burdens through automation as a significant opportunity area for AI, with 57% in agreement in 2024, a slight increase from the previous year. Important attributes for advancing AI adoption identified by surveyed physicians include a designated feedback channel, data privacy assurances, and Electronic Health Record (EHR) integration.

While recognising the benefits of AI, Dr Dhaliwal stressed the importance of caution in its implementation, particularly regarding privacy and reliability. He stated, "When dealing with AI in the healthcare space, it is crucial to be aware of any potential issues that may arise. Specifically, in terms of privacy, when the telecommunication link fails, or when the remote care clinician is not available remotely. Clinics must have clear protocols and strategies in place to manage any issues that may arise."

Dr Dhaliwal added, "AI has many beneficial applications specifically in the telehealth space. AI can assist clinicians with keeping up to date records by asking the right next set of questions based on the answer, enabling the clinician to operate with a patient-centred approach."