Physicians health-xiety is on the rise but their trust with patients hasnt wavered

Physicians’ “health-xiety,” their anxiety about the healthcare industry, is on the rise — but their trust in the relationships they’ve built with patients hasn’t wavered.A new study of 1,000 U.S.physicians found 63% said their anxieties about the industry have increased over the past year.

Still, 97% believe their patients trust their expertise as their provider.The strain shows up in daily practice, with physicians citing time constraints (72%), EHR (electronic health record) documentation burdens (70%), prior authorizations (65%), high patient volume (57%), and staffing shortages (57%) as their top challenges.Despite that confidence, physicians say they don’t think patients always come to them first.Most believe patients often turn to search engines (77%), social media (65%), and their friends (52%) before they turn to healthcare providers and specialists (51%).Commissioned by PatientPoint for their inaugural “Physician Confidence Index” and conducted by Talker Research, the study found 68% of respondents said they’ve had patients discuss AI-sourced health information with them.Overall, nearly half (48%) of doctors polled believe the health information shared by AI is “somewhat trustworthy.”Rather than resist the shift, physicians are bringing technology into their own practices on their terms.

Sixty-two percent said their practice uses AI-enabled tools or platforms for their care delivery and practice operations, including telehealth platforms (67%), AI-powered documentation tools (64%) and digital intake and check-in tools (64%) in their practice.Another two in three believe the greatest benefit would come in the form of a more tailored diagnosis and treatment plan for their patients.Still, 64% said they’re concerned AI could strip away the personal touch of healthcare altogether.“Patients today have more ways than ever to access health information, but physicians remain at the center of how patients make sense of it,” said Kyle B...