Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
AI in healthcare - statistics & facts
Artificial intelligence (AI) in a broader sense denotes a machine or computer which can replicate the competencies of the human brain, and therefore can learn, think, and make decisions or actions based on learned experiences. The use of AI in healthcare can hence be used to analyze medical data and act on this with the purpose of predicting an outcome. The application of AI in healthcare could lead to improvements in many areas as this technology's importance is realized. The technology has the potential to lead to more accurate diagnoses, better care, and less time spent by healthcare professionals on administrative tasks, which in turn enables more time spent on interacting and treating patients. Although there are some concerns among both patients and healthcare professionals to be addressed, before prevalence can reach higher levels. The most common anxieties involve ethical issues, lack of regulation, and the accuracy of using AI for diagnosis.
Current situation
In 2024, global funding into digital health companies focused on AI accounted for 42 percent of the total annual funding into digital health. This is up from AI accounting for seven percent of digital health funding in 2015. Around a fifth of healthcare organizations in the United States reported in 2024 to be experimenting and developing AI models but did not have any in production yet. However, 11 percent of organizations reported to be in mid-stage adoption with multiple solutions running in production and a further 14 percent in early-stage adoption. A global survey of clinicians who were familiar with AI technologies found that, as of 2024, just over a quarter had used AI for a specific work purpose. Clinicians in Asia-Pacific had the highest prevalence of use, with almost 30 percent having used AI explicitly for their work.How is AI in healthcare perceived?
The general picture among clinicians internationally was of cautious optimism regarding AI’s future role in healthcare, with mixed feelings caused by observed potential and drawbacks. Around four in ten doctors and a quarter of nurses believed that AI is a positive and welcome advancement on their work in healthcare. The main concern raised with the use of AI by healthcare professionals is the ethical implications of the technology. This is most stark in Europe, with almost 60 percent of clinicians in the continent reporting they had significant or fundamental ethical concerns with the use of AI in their work. On the other side of the doctor-patient relationship, those receiving treatment also have apprehensions about the novel use of AI in healthcare. The weakening of the connection between the patient and provider was the most cited worry, followed by the potential security risks.Reducing clinician burnout as the biggest AI benefit?
It is widely accepted in healthcare the use of AI will bring time savings for healthcare workers by reducing their time spent on administrative tasks. This comes at a time when health systems all over the world are operating under considerable pressure. A strain that is only forecast to get worse through aging populations and a shortage of essential workers. This manifests itself in high rates of physician burnout. A huge benefit of AI in healthcare could allow health workers to have lower stress levels, less time working overtime, and more time spent on direct patient care. All this should allow for a greater quality of care afforded to patients when in health facilities.Conor Stewart
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Feb 21, 2025
Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
