Most healthcare providers in the United States have boarded the artificial intelligence (AI) train. Roughly two-thirds of physicians report using AI, primarily to reduce administrative burdens and improve patient care.
According to a survey published in the MIT Technology Review, 78 percent of healthcare professionals report that artificial intelligence has already improved workflows, 45 percent believe that AI has helped increase consultation time, and 79 percent indicate that the technology has helped avert healthcare worker burnout. More than 80 percent of the survey’s respondents believe that AI is, or will, help them improve their ability to generate revenue, recruit talent and be competitive.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery, though, medical practices and health systems are challenged with maintaining patient trust. Check out our three recommended strategies for healthcare providers to employ to ensure patients trust AI-enhanced care:
1. Practice Transparent AI Disclosure
Patients expect transparency from their healthcare providers, and that includes the use of AI. Eighty percent of consumers surveyed by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions said they’d like to be informed about how their healthcare provider is using AI. Roughly 65 percent are supportive of their healthcare providers using the technology for care delivery.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recommends this tiered transparency approach:
General Disclosure
This disclosure works for routine AI applications. Update your practice policies, and communicate broadly with patients through newsletters or portal announcements. Referred to as the “community consent” model, it keeps patients informed without requiring individual consent for every AI interaction.
Point-of-Care Transparency
This level of transparency is essential when AI directly interacts with patients. If you’re using ambient scribe technology to record clinical conversations, for example, display clear signage in exam rooms, and provide handouts explaining the technology. A brief verbal notification from staff reinforces this transparency and seeks patient assent without creating more of an administrative burden.
Explicit Informed Consent
This type of consent is necessary for high-risk or autonomous AI, especially “human out of the loop” (HOOTL) systems that operate independently. These situations require detailed discussions similar to consent for invasive procedures to ensure patients understand both benefits and risks.
Ongoing Communication
Regular communication by healthcare providers keeps patients updated as their practice adopts new AI tools. Such messaging should highlight new technologies, such as agentic AI, and their benefits.
Avoid technical jargon, focus on why you’re using AI, and explain how it benefits patient care. Patients need assurance that AI applications are managed responsibly and safely and that AI augments instead of replaces the personalized care they expect from their physician. Reassure them that care remains tailored to their individual needs and that human judgment guides all of your clinical decisions.
2. Proactively and Clearly Communicate
Communication failures can undermine even the best AI implementations. If patients discover AI involvement without prior notification, it can negatively affect their perception of care and diminish the trust you’ve worked to build.
Proactive communication starts with clear explanations of how AI is being used in your practice, whether it’s calling patients to remind them of their scheduled appointments or share post-discharge instructions, managing patient flow, documenting in-office visits, mitigating staffing shortages or streamlining other administrative workflows. When discussing artificial intelligence adoption with patients, you can highlight how these tools improve communication between care teams and allow more face time with patients, both of which demonstrate how AI benefits them.
Because data privacy concerns top the list of patient concerns about AI in healthcare, clearly communicate how patient data is collected, used and protected by AI systems. Explain the safeguards in place to prevent AI data leaks, and emphasize that their information is used to improve healthcare outcomes, not for commercial exploitation without consent.
3. Build a Culture of Education and Engagement
Patient trust grows from understanding, and that includes the use of AI in medical practice. Create educational resources that help patients make informed decisions about AI-enhanced care. Consider creating FAQ documents or other easy-to-read materials that explain AI applications in your practice. Keep digital and health literacy standards in mind when developing these documents, and let your patients know you offer multilingual support.
If your patients express concerns about agentic AI, use it as an opportunity to educate them. Their questions will help guide you toward more effective communication strategies.
Involve your entire team in this educational effort. Front desk staff, nurses, and medical assistants should understand your AI applications well enough to answer basic questions and know when to escalate concerns to providers. Consistent messaging across your practice reinforces transparency and builds patient trust.
Providertech.ai: the AI Advantage Your Practice Deserves
Implementing these trust-building strategies while managing a busy practice can seem overwhelming, even when production results from conversational AI are evident. However, Providertech.ai was built by healthcare professionals to help you employ agentic AI to alleviate administrative burden while maintaining the transparency, communication and patient engagement that build trust.
By reducing time spent on paperwork and administrative tasks, our HIPAA-compliant platform gives you more time for patient interactions and empowers your team to spend more time on complex tasks. With Providertech.ai, you’ll get happy patients every single call, every single time. Listen to a sample recording today!
