State of
AI in Medicine

The promise of AI in medicine is generating meaningful enthusiasm among physicians.

When asked what excites them most about AI's potential in their practice, physicians cited reduced administrative workload (69%) most often, followed by the opportunity for improved work‑life balance (67%) and greater job satisfaction (50%).

Many also see AI as a path to better care: 43% of all physicians surveyed reported they are excited about spending more time with each patient, and 41% about improving patient care and outcomes.

These findings suggest that physicians view AI not simply as a tool to improve productivity, but as a way to restore time, focus, and fulfillment in the practice of medicine.

What Excites You Most About the Potential of AI in Your Practice?*

*Physician respondents selected all that applied.

Yet, as AI becomes more integrated into clinical practice, health care institutions are grappling with the best way to set policies and guidelines for its use.³ Nearly half of all physicians surveyed (47%) reported the AI decision‑making process at their institution is "still evolving." Only 8% reported that the process is clear, and they understand the policies and guidelines.

Physicians also identified several barriers or concerns that could potentially slow AI adoption. The most‑cited concern among physicians surveyed was the accuracy and reliability of AI‑generated outputs (71% of surveyed physicians).

Notably, accuracy and reliability was the top‑cited AI concern among all physician age groups and all 15 specialties studied. It was cited by 78% of pediatricians, the highest rate among all specialties.

What Are Your Greatest Barriers or Concerns When It Comes to Using AI in Your Practice?*

*Physician respondents selected all that applied.

Current AI adoption appears to be strong and growing. Across all 3,151 U.S. physicians surveyed, 94% reported they are either using AI in their clinical practice or interested in doing so. More than half (54%) reported currently using AI in their clinical practice, and only 5% said they are not interested in using AI.

AI adoption appeared to rise markedly over the past year, from 47% of physicians surveyed in March–April 2025 to 63% of those surveyed in November 2025–January 2026.

Men physicians reported slightly higher adoption than women (57% vs. 49%), though interest was nearly identical, with only 5% of both groups indicating no interest in AI.

Are You Currently Using AI in Your Practice?*

*Date ranges are from March–April 2025 and November 2025–January 2026.

Though still in its early stages, AI adoption is already widespread across medical specialties. Among the 15 specialties studied, neurology reported the highest rate of current AI use (64% of neurologists surveyed), followed closely by gastroenterology (61%) and internal medicine (60%). Family medicine and cardiology each reported 58% adoption, with oncology close behind at 57%.

Adoption rates remained above 50% across several additional specialties, including rheumatology, endocrinology, urology, and pediatrics.

Overall, the data indicate that AI adoption is distributed broadly across both primary care and specialty practices, underscoring its versatility in diverse clinical settings.

Physician AI Adoption by Specialty

Physicians are adopting AI to streamline a wide range of administrative and clinical workflow tasks, with usage increasing across nearly every major category over time.

The most common use case reported was literature search (35% of physicians surveyed in January 2026, up from 22% in April 2025), followed by voice‑based documentation tools such as ambient listening or AI scribes (29%, up from 20%).

Beyond these leading applications, physicians are increasingly using AI for writing, research, and administrative tasks, including drafting patient support letters and educational materials. Growth has also been notable in administrative burden–related areas, with more physicians turning to AI for insurance correspondence, such as prior authorizations, and for summarizing lengthy patient records.

These findings show that AI is not confined to a single function but is being integrated more deeply across the full spectrum of clinical and operational workflows.

How Physicians Are Using AI in Their Practice*†

*Physician respondents selected all that applied.
†Survey dates are March–April 2025 and November 2025–January 2026.

Once physicians adopt AI, it appears to secure a recurring role in their clinical practice. More than one‑third (37%) of all physicians surveyed reported using AI in some capacity at least daily.

Among AI users specifically, 69% reported daily use, including 36% who use AI multiple times per day.

Usage frequency also appears to be increasing over time. In March–April 2025, 64% of physician AI users reported using the technology at least daily, rising to 74% in the November 2025–January 2026 survey.

Notably, family medicine physicians emerged as some of the most frequent AI users. Among those who have adopted the technology, 88% reported daily use, including half (50%) who use it multiple times per day.

How Often Do You Use AI in Your Practice?*†
Percentages Specific to Physician AI Users (Non‑Users Excluded)

*Due to rounding, numbers may not sum to 100%.
†Survey dates are March–April 2025 and November 2025–January 2026.

Physicians using AI in their practice reported clear benefits over the past year, especially around reducing administrative burden, improving job satisfaction, and enhancing work‑life balance.

Three‑quarters (75%) of physician AI users surveyed reported the technology has already reduced administrative burden and improved job satisfaction. Notably, 69% of physician AI users reported better patient care and outcomes as a result of applying AI to their work.

While fewer physicians identified immediate benefits in areas like increased billable time, compensation, or patient volume, the number who did observe such benefits is still notable, particularly at this early stage of AI adoption. For example, nearly half (49%) of physician AI users reported having greater capacity to take on new patients as a result of using AI.

Over time, as physicians become more experienced and confident using AI, these benefits may become more apparent.

How AI Has Impacted Physicians' Work in the Past Year*
Percentages Specific to Physician AI Users (Non‑Users Excluded)

*Physician respondents selected all that applied.

Physicians across the board reported high interest in applying AI to a variety of tasks. Among all physicians surveyed, including both current AI users and those who have not yet adopted the technology, the majority expressed interest in AI for many common use cases.

The strongest interest was in literature search (87% of all physicians surveyed), drafting patient support letters (86%), patient education (84%), and insurance correspondence tasks, such as prior authorizations (82%). More than 80% also expressed interest in using AI for document translation and summarizing patient records.

Interest remained substantial across several documentation, research, and communication tasks, including voice‑based documentation, such as ambient scribe technology (79%).

The majority of physicians also reported interest in applying AI to some of the more advanced or operational applications, such as interpreting medical images or test results (58%).

Overall, these findings suggest broad curiosity and openness to AI across core clinical workflows.

How Physicians Want to Use AI in Their Clinical Practice*

*Due to rounding, numbers may not sum to 100%.

Physicians see major potential for AI to relieve pressure in clinical practice. An overwhelming 88% of all physicians surveyed said AI can help reduce burnout and improve job satisfaction, a figure that rises to 92% among current AI users, including 44% of AI users who reported AI has already made a difference.

Optimism runs even higher when it comes to increasing time for patient care: 91% of all physicians surveyed believe AI can help reduce administrative workload and free up more time for patient care. Among AI users specifically, 40% reported AI has already helped increase time for patient care by reducing administrative workload.

If administrative burdens ease, the payoff for patients could be significant. About two‑thirds (65%) of all physicians surveyed estimated that AI could help them reallocate one to five hours per week toward direct patient care, and another 21% said it could free up six or more hours.

Do you believe that AI can help reduce physician burnout and increase job satisfaction?

Do you believe that AI can help increase time for patient care by reducing administrative workload?*

*Due to rounding, numbers may not sum to 100%.

Research shows that for every hour of direct patient care, physicians spend nearly two additional hours on EHR and desk work during the clinical day, with another one to two hours on clerical work each night.⁴

According to the American Medical Association, off‑hours work, commonly referred to as "pajama time," forces physicians to sacrifice personal and family time, which can take a significant toll on their well‑being and overall job satisfaction.⁵

According to physicians, AI has the potential to help. The large majority (90%) of all physicians surveyed reported AI has either already reduced pajama time or could do so in the future. More than one‑third (36%) of current AI users said that AI has already reduced pajama time.

On average, physicians estimated that AI could cut their weekly pajama time by nearly half (a 48% reduction), with some indicating that AI could eliminate pajama time altogether.

Do you believe that AI can help reduce "pajama time"?*

*Due to rounding, numbers may not sum to 100%.

AI has the potential to free up meaningful time for physicians, time many would prefer to reinvest in their own personal lives or wellness.

If AI reduced their administrative workload and "pajama time," 75% of physicians said they would like to use the reclaimed hours for personal time, and 72% for their own wellness.

Given the strain that many physicians are under, these preferences for renewal and recovery are understandable. In a 2025 Doximity poll of nearly 2,000 physicians, 85% reported feeling overworked, and 68% said they are considering an employment change or early retirement.⁶

At the same time, many physicians would like to reinvest reclaimed time directly back into patient care. Nearly 37% of all physicians surveyed reported they would like to spend additional time with their current patients, and nearly one in five (19%) said they would like to take on new patients.

With a projected shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, even incremental time gains could meaningfully expand access to care for patients nationwide.⁷

If AI could meaningfully reduce your administrative workload and "pajama time," how would you prefer to use that reclaimed time?*

*Physician respondents selected all that applied.