Survey: AI reduces administrative burden, improves physician outlook

Editor's Note

Physicians are feeling more optimistic about their profession and are beginning to see tangible benefits from AI in reducing administrative tasks, according to the latest Physician Sentiment Survey (PSS) from athenahealth.

Physicians’ day-to-day outlook has improved in recent years despite ongoing concerns about US healthcare, the organization reported in a March 25 press release. Two-thirds of surveyed physicians report looking forward to coming to work, and the number of physicians considering leaving the profession on a weekly basis has dropped by 22% compared to last year. And while AI remains a topic of cautious interest, skepticism about its usefulness is waning. Only 27% of respondents this year believe AI is overhyped, down from 40% a year ago. Additionally, just 31% now fear that AI would complicate healthcare, a decrease from 42% last year. Other key findings include:

• 68% report increased use of AI to generate clinical documentation
• Transcription services and administrative task automation are considered the most valuable AI applications, cited by 48% and 46% of respondents, respectively.
• Concerns about AI include losing the human touch in care, cited by 61% of respondents, overreliance on AI for diagnoses, cited by 58%, and improper AI diagnoses, cited by 53%
• Interoperability is a more general concern, with 91% of physicians agreeing that improved data exchange between systems could enhance patient outcomes. More than half regularly feel frustrated by the difficulty of accessing clinical information from other providers, and 80% report increased stress due to data-sharing barriers.
• 56% expressed worry about their organization’s financial stability.
• 49% are contemplating operational changes to mitigate financial strain, primarily driven by low reimbursement rates (cited by 69%) and staffing costs (cited by 66%).
• 73% of physicians say patient portals facilitate communication and 61% say they have improved care quality, but 83% say they increase administrative workload, and 68% feel overwhelmed by patient inquiries.  

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of athenahealth, involved 1,001 physicians, including primary care providers and specialists.