USofCare Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Demand Oversight and Transparency on AI Usage in Health Care

While registered voters are divided on the use of AI in health care, transparency and congressional action on regulation is top of mind for most Americans.

Washington, D.C. — United States of Care (USofCare), in partnership with Morning Consult, today released results from a comprehensive poll assessing public sentiment towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care. As the conversation about AI in health care has been dominated by innovators, tech leaders, and the health care industry, these findings offer a rare look into what everyday people are thinking about AI in health care – and come as policymakers look to establish a framework for integrating AI into our health care system. 

“These findings confirm much of what we’ve heard in our foundational research over the last four years to map the experience people have with our health care system, and reinforce why we do the work we do at USofCare,” said Natalie Davis, Co-Founder and CEO of United States of Care. “Here, again, we see strong agreement and a call for action from people of all walks of life. The public’s cautious optimism for some and concern for others about AI in health care highlights the critical need for transparency, equitable implementation, and calculated regulation. Policymakers should take these findings and what people are saying about AI in health care to heart and implement solutions that address the public’s demand for privacy and transparency – while still giving innovators, tech leaders, and health care providers the opportunity to innovate and use AI to drive better health outcomes. This field is unfolding so quickly, and we need to listen to the public on what they need. They think it holds great promise, but they want to know when and why it is a part of their care and they want it to be regulated.”

Some of the key findings include: 

• 63% of registered voters across party lines believe that the use of AI in health care should be more regulated. 
  • Half of registered voters (53%) think it’s extremely appropriate for Congress to oversee the protection of patients’ privacy and data. 
  • A majority of registered voters (75%) want transparency into how AI developers and the health care sector is using AI within patients’ healthcare experiences.
  • A majority of voters (66%) want to see state and federal policymakers make the regulation of AI in healthcare a top or important priority.
  • When medical errors occur because of AI, registered voters believe that accountability should lie with health care providers (41%) and health systems (46%)
• Registered voters identified varying comfort levels with specific uses of AI in health care, including communicating test results via chatbots (47% comfortable), recording conversations during appointments (49% comfortable), and reviewing medical images or scans (47% comfortable). 
• 47% of registered voters believed the positive outcomes of using AI in health care outweigh the negatives.
  • If privacy concerns were addressed, 34% would feel more confident using AI in health care. 
  • 30% of registered voters believed that addressing the lack of evidence for improved health outcomes would increase their confidence. 
• An equal number of registered voters are optimistic (26%) and concerned (26%) about AI in health care, with another 27% expressing uncertainty. 
• GenZers (41%) are significantly more likely than any other age group to say they prefer their physicians do not use AI tools at all, compared to Millennials (30%), GenXers (33%), and Baby Boomers (30%). 
• Black adults (15%) were significantly more likely than any other race demographic to prefer extensive use of AI tools, compared to white (8%), Hispanic (6%), and AAPI+ (8%). 

“As we move into ongoing divisive political times, this is a clear place of agreement and a call for action for our leaders. We’ve talked to thousands of people in our listening work, and we hear over and over again that a personalized health care system that meets people’s unique needs is exactly what people want,” said Davis. “As these findings show us, people see the promise that AI can offer, but want it to be implemented with an eye to equity and privacy, and close attention to giving people more time face-to-face with their doctors and health care providers. We look forward to talking to more people across the country about this issue.”

“Our partnership with Morning Consult allowed us to dive deep into public sentiment regarding AI in health care,” added Dr. Venice Haynes, PhD, Senior Director of Research and Community Engagement at United States of Care. “We wanted to make sure that the methodology behind this poll would ensure a comprehensive understanding of diverse perspectives, which is essential for guiding policymakers and health care leaders. These insights are crucial as we navigate the integration of AI technologies in health care to ensure they are implemented ethically, equitably, and in line with people’s health care needs.”

Press Call
United States of Care will host a press call to discuss the findings of the poll on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 10:00 AM ET. 

Methodology
The poll was conducted online by Morning Consult between May 30 and June 2, 2024, among a national sample of 2,517 adults. The data is weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, and region. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

For more detailed information, you can view the poll toplines.

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About United States of Care
United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care. We work to drive healthcare solutions that reflect the needs of people and their communities.

About Morning Consult
Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. Its proprietary data collection technology, research capabilities, and AI enable leaders to navigate today’s issues and anticipate tomorrow’s challenges.

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