Public Comfort with AI in Health Care Falls, Ohio State Survey Finds

Key takeaways

• New survey results from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds public openness to AI in health care has decreased, with only 42% of adults supportive in 2026 compared to 52% in 2024.
• Despite concerns about AI’s accuracy and understanding of individual health history, 51% of adults surveyed relied on AI for important health decisions without consulting a medical professional.
• Survey participants commonly use AI to understand symptoms (62%), explain test results (44%), compare treatment options (25%), and prepare for medical appointments (20%).

Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere – on our jobs, in our homes and at the doctor’s office. While the use of AI grows, a new survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds fewer Americans are open to AI being used in their health care. 

The national poll of 1,007 adults found only 42% are open to AI being used as part of their care compared to 52% when this survey first ran in 2024. The belief that AI can make some health processes more efficient also fell, going from 64% to 55%.

The drop is on par with the natural hype cycle of any kind of technology, according to Ravi Tripathi, MD, chief health informatics officer at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

“When we first see something new and shiny, we think it’s going to fix the world and replace health care and solve all of our medical problems,” Tripathi said. “People are learning that there are pros and cons of artificial intelligence, where it has actual use and where it really doesn’t have a place. I think over the next 2 to 5 years, we’ll definitely start to see that increase again as people understand what the true use of artificial intelligence is and as it becomes just common day to all of health care technology.”

One task medical professionals say AI shouldn’t be used for is making health care decisions. The survey found 51% of adults used AI to make an important health decision without consulting a medial professional.

“We know that 2% of the time AI is going to be inaccurate or it will potentially hallucinate,” Tripathi said. “Physicians are not using AI 100%. We’re not trusting it 100%. I would be really concerned about a patient who is following AI. The artificial intelligence doesn’t understand your story.”

Tripathi suggests using AI in partnership with your doctor. AI can compile health data, explain test results and diagnoses, and help identify questions to ask your provider. Those who participated in the Ohio State survey agree:

• 62% use AI to help understand symptoms before deciding whether to seek medical care
• 44% use AI to help explain test results or a medical diagnosis
• 25% use AI to compare treatment options or help make a treatment decision
• 20% use AI to prepare for an upcoming medical appointment

“There’s a strong value for using artificial intelligence as augmented intelligence,” Tripathi said. “Patients should have oversight of what the technology is doing but consult with their health care team for the final plan.”

What is the survey methodology?

This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was conducted from January 16 – January 20, 2026, among a sample of 1,007 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=977) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.

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