The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice is revolutionising healthcare by improving efficiency and patient outcomes. However, with one-third of healthcare professionals identifying data privacy as the top challenge, addressing critical issues such as robust safeguards, workflow integration, and stakeholder acceptance is essential to ensure AI’s ethical implementation and long-term success, says GlobalData.
GlobalData’s report, “Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice Physician Perspective – 2024,” reveals that AI is rapidly transforming healthcare, offering solutions to optimise clinical workflows, address staffing shortages, and improve diagnostic accuracy. However, its integration requires caution to ensure safety and ethical compliance.
This reflects in GlobalData’s latest survey* involving 531 healthcare professionals across the seven major markets** (7MM), in which 33 per cent consider data privacy and security their top concern when integrating AI.
Sachin Gharat, Associate Project Manager, Pharma at GlobalData, states, “Healthcare professionals identified data privacy and security as the foremost priority when integrating AI, reflecting growing apprehensions about safeguarding patient information.”
Seamless integration of AI into the existing clinical workflows is a priority for 32 per cent of healthcare professionals surveyed. This highlights the need for AI solutions that align with current practices, ensuring efficiency and minimising disruptions to healthcare delivery.
Gharat continues, “Effective integration requires AI tools to be user-friendly, interoperable with electronic health records (EHRs), and adaptable to diverse clinical settings. Without such alignment, the benefits of AI—such as improved efficiency, decision support, and patient outcomes—may be underutilised. Addressing this concern is vital to ensuring that AI solutions not only complement but enhance the existing healthcare workflows.”
While physician and patient acceptance remains key (30 per cent each), comparatively fewer HCPs emphasised regulatory compliance (19 per cent) and legal liability (22 per cent), potentially viewing them as manageable compared to operational and ethical aspects.
Gharat concludes, “The adoption of AI in clinical practice presents immense potential to revolutionise healthcare by improving efficiency, enhancing patient outcomes, and addressing critical challenges like staffing shortages. However, the road to successful implementation is fraught with concerns around data privacy, workflow integration, and acceptance by both patients and physicians.”
*GlobalData’s survey consisted of 531 Physician from the US, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Japan was conducted between August 2024 – November 2024.