A modern Deloitte Center for Health Solutions 2024 consumer survey shows that American consumers remain sanguine about the potential of generative AI to solve challenges related to health care access and affordability. However, they still have some doubts about AI tools.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Despite general optimism, public employ of genAI tools for health reasons has declined slightly since the initial surge in interest shown by Deloitte research last year, with 37% of consumers using them in 2024 compared to 40% in 2023.
Scientists have found that one of the most critical reasons for stagnation in implementation is lack of trust in the results of artificial intelligence, which, according to the report, has increased by 7% since last year.
To escalate trust in genAI tools, healthcare organizations must align the technology with patient values, expectations and trust, Deloitte advises in a modern report.
Of the more than 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed in March 2024 about the employ of genAI, 66% believe it could reduce wait times for medical appointments and lower individual health care costs.
However, when asked why they do not employ genAI for health and wellness purposes, 30% of consumers responded this year’s studyAccording to Deloitte researchers, “I don’t trust this information” compared to 23% in 2023.
While distrust of genAI’s results increased across age groups, distrust among millennials and baby boomers increased by 9% and 8%, respectively. Thirty percent of millennials said they did not trust genAI’s health information, while 32% of baby boomers said they did not.
Behind the lack of trust, 30% of consumers said in the survey that they did not need to research anything, 29% said they did not know how to employ genAI technology, and 24% of respondents said they did not think genAI could assist answer health-related questions .
The employ of free and accessible genAI tools, which can sometimes provide incorrect health and wellness information, may reduce trust in the technology.
To gain their trust and improve adoption, healthcare organizations can:
- Engage clinicians as change agents. With 74% of Deloitte survey respondents viewing physicians as their most trusted source of healthcare information, clinicians can serve as key influencers by educating consumers about the potential benefits of provider-selected and monitored genAI tools, including faster, more correct diagnoses and more personalized care, scientists said.
- Be lucid with consumers. According to Deloitte, of survey respondents who do not currently employ genAI themselves, 64% said they support their healthcare providers in using it with confidence that their data is being used responsibly and securely.
- Enlist social partners as supporters of this technology. Deloitte researchers recommend that health care organizations employ credible community organizations to answer consumer questions about genAI and push for its wider acceptance.
A BIGGER TREND
Earlier this year, Deloitte published a survey of 60 healthcare executives that provided general information on the employ of genAI technology and potential blind spots.
In a previous study, researchers found that healthcare leaders implementing genAI and looking to scale it more should focus more on governance, patient preferences and workforce needs.
“Generative AI has the potential to either deepen and restore trust or exacerbate distrust and introduce new skepticism among both consumers and healthcare industry stakeholders,” they said, noting that governance is critical to ensuring effective employ and quality of data, mitigating bias and privacy protection.
ON RECORDING
“Implementing a genAI framework that emphasizes transparency, explainability, monitoring and evaluation could significantly build consumer trust,” Deloitte researchers said in a statement about the modern report.
“For example, a clinical recommendation generated using GenAI may require a disclaimer stating that it was developed from the system,” they added. “Along with this, consumers should be provided with available data or an explanation as to why such a recommendation has been made.”