Artificial intelligence use continues to rise among clinicians and patients alike—with 35% of clinicians using AI multiple times daily for work and 40% of patients using AI at least once daily in their personal lives, a new report from Wolters Kluwer Health found.
The 2026 Future Ready Healthcare Survey Report drew insights from 355 clinicians and 254 patients from across the nation in mid-March, which was conducted by independent market research firm Ipsos.
Researchers note instances of repeated daily usage of AI has skyrocketed for clinicians. For physicians, use tripled from 10% in 2025 to 38% in 2026. Meanwhile, use for nurses has doubled from 16% to 32% year-over-year.
Patient AI use is also becoming increasingly prominent in medical appointments, with 42% of patients saying they “frequently or very frequently” bring AI-generated information to appointments. Fifty-nine percent report clinicians welcoming or engaging with the material.
However, the report noted that despite its increasing use, both clinicians and patients have varying concerns about AI’s implementation in healthcare.
Seventy-four percent of clinicians report concerns over “deskilling,” which the report defines as an overreliance on AI tools that decrease skills and ability to identify inaccuracies or poor recommendations. Similarly, 74% of clinicians report AI hallucinations as a major concern.
And 75% of patients report concerns about accountability if AI contributes to harm during the care journey.
Wolters Kluwer Health CEO Greg Samios said in a statement that the findings reveal real-world AI use is increasing for both clinicians and patients, but accompanies a “significant trust gap over mounting concerns around AI hallucinations, bias, and the monetization of personal data.”
“The pressure is on healthcare leaders now to close the trust gap with visible, organizational governance and trusted content that tackles these worries, while continuing to drive innovative new clinical solutions,” Samios said.
Despite concerns, 70% of respondents in both clinician and patient groups report believing AI can enable better patient health literacy and engagement. Moreover, about 61% of clinicians believe AI can help them spend more time on patient care and 74% of patients report believing generative AI can be an efficient way for clinicians to find care-related information.
“AI is not just something that healthcare organizations are implementing within the walls of the health system,” said Peter Bonis, M.D., Wolters Kluwer Health chief medical officer, in a statement. “It’s something that’s shaping the patient journey well before they enter the doctor’s office. That influences the dynamics of clinical decision-making in important ways.”