There is a growing disconnect between what tools clinicians are using to relieve burnout and what their healthcare employers are buying into.
Many, if not most, health leaders prioritize EHR integration when it comes to selecting AI care partners and clinical tools. They believe integration is the key to maximizing benefits.
Yet while integration is a priority for health leaders, it’s a secondary consideration among clinicians who actually use AI clinical tools.
The data backs this up. As many as 83% of clinicians, globally, are navigating AI entirely without guidance from their employer, according to Heidi’s May 2026 global clinician survey. Why? Because they don’t need an integrated solution to reap the benefits of AI. They just want tools and templates that work smoothly and seamlessly, so they can cut down on pajama time. They want to free up their weekends, stat.
Why does this matter to health decision-makers? In a word, retention. Happy clinicians = profitable health system. Especially as clinician shortages loom.
So is there a way for CIOs and clinicians to meet in the middle, in spite of competing priorities?
Maybe. So long as CIOs understand the benefits of a clinician-led approach to AI implementation, and are ready to invite clinical leaders into the decision-making process.
