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What patients want in their clinical AI experience

Heidi Team

July 23, 2026•5 min read•
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What patients want in their clinical AI experience

The topic of patient experience is a hot one, as it is closely tied to everything from outcomes to profitability. It’s also an elusive topic, as figuring out what makes patients “happy” isn’t easy.

Yet on the subject of AI, there is some patient consensus.

A new study on patients’ perspectives on clinicians' use of AI scribes, published June 12 in JAMIA Open, highlights positive sentiments: Most respondents found the ambient AI scribe helpful (1543, 70.1%), preferred future use (1620, 73.6%) and expressed interest in new technology (1884, 85.6%).

This tracks with what most providers who use ambient AI scribes are seeing. Patients have mostly responded positively to the use of AI scribes in the exam room, because it improves physicians’ presence.

Dr. Job Larson, a family medicine physician with the Community Health Center of Rutland Region (CHCRR), part of the OneCare Vermont Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and the University of Vermont Health Network, says his experience with Heidi’s scribe attests to this.

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"To be able to just be there and listen to [patients] and focus on what they're saying and ask follow-up questions … without having to pay attention to my computer during those visits has been extremely helpful,” he says.

As AI has infiltrated most parts of modern life, and an increasing number of people rely on generative-chat tools for work and personal information, studies suggesting positive patient sentiments around AI are unsurprising.

Yet while the study sheds a bit of light on what how patients feel, it stopped short on offering detailed insights into the “why” driving positive or negative patient sentiments. Specifically, why do nearly 30% of patients surveyed not find scribes helpful? And what does the substantial, though dwindling, neutral or negative AI sentiment mean for hospitals?

Who is most (and least) enthusiastic about AI

Paying attention to what patients aren’t happy with is just as important as paying attention to what patients like.

As the study noted, there were no significant differences in perceptions of ambient AI scribes between primary care and specialty visits, and only small differences observed across gender, age and race. Case in point: Interest in future use varied slightly by gender: 84% of males preferred future use compared with 76% of females.

What’s more telling is that the 25% of surveyed patients who indicated they did not prefer future use of AI were also less likely to rate the tool as helpful.

Yet while the patient survey did not delve into why some patients aren’t in favor of future AI use, a separate 2022 study by Yale Cancer Center published in JAMA Network Open indicated the vast majority of 926 patients surveyed were very concerned or somewhat concerned about AI’s unintended consequences. These include misdiagnosis (91.5%), privacy breaches (70.8%), less time with clinicians (69.6%) and higher healthcare costs (68.4%).

While that latter study is slightly dated, these concerns are still top of mind among consumers in light of recent lawsuits over AI privacy breaches and consent.

The Takeaway

Working with AI care partners that take a provider-centered and patient-centered approach with their respective technologies can strengthen patient experience and confidence in AI.

As Heidi’s Yass Omar, Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, noted in a Becker’s Hospital Review article, the right AI care partner, like Heidi, can ensure healthcare providers are educated on regulations pertaining to the use of clinical AI, and provide the right support tools based on an organization's particular needs and location.

In an op-ed published by AAFP journal FPM, physician authors Sajida Chaudry, Danny Lee, and Scott Wright offer additional suggestions, such as placing AI scribe information cards in waiting rooms and exam rooms to build awareness.

The authors also suggest that during a patient visit, clinicians should be ready to explain the AI virtual scribe process to patients while gaining consent for its use (e.g., “As my medical assistant mentioned earlier, our clinic is using a new technology to help with patient care,” etc.). They should expect to take extra time to answer any initial questions and address concerns the first time a patient encounters the technology.

While AI is becoming more pervasive, it’s important not to take patients’ comfort with the technology for granted. Patient experience will ultimately be shaped by how present a clinician is when using AI, but also how transparent that provider is about a respective technology’s ability to enhance overall care.

Learn more about using Heidi in primary care.

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