How do European doctors perceive the use of AI in health? Are they already using it? Do they trust him? What do they expect? And what are their fears? Medscape surveyed 5,355 doctors from Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and France between January and June 2024. This international survey makes it possible to compare the results of French doctors published last October with those of their EU counterparts and to measure how, despite their geographical proximity, these countries sometimes approach the immersion of AI in their professional world differently. But always with the aim of remaining in control of the medical decision.
Doctors recognize, whatever their country of practice, that they do not have a good understanding of the capabilities of AI in health. Only one in ten practitioners consider themselves well informed about this new technology. Whether it is out of humility or complete ignorance, more than half of Portuguese and French doctors confess to not knowing what AI can accomplish in health.
Concerning the feeling provided by the greater place that AI will play in the practice of medicine, the white coats express surprisingly quite diverse reactions, depending on their nationality. The Portuguese (54%) are relatively enthusiastic even if at the same time 36% of them fear this situation. The English (50%) and the Spanish (46%) are also more enthusiastic. On the other hand, Germans (49%), Spaniards (44%) and Italians (40%) say they are neutral on this subject! But one thing is certain, 95% of doctors, whatever their country, consider it important or very important to learn about AI.
Radiology, the big winner of AI
Doctors from the six countries who participated in the survey also all agree that radiology is the specialty that will benefit (and is already benefiting) the most from AI. Germans and French place this specialty largely at the top (38% and 35%). Practitioners in the United Kingdom are more dispersed (23% for radiology), and believe that general medicine, which occupies a very large place in the health system, can benefit from the rise of AI (12% ). Likewise, Italian doctors believe that AI will benefit medical statistics and biometrics (13%), just behind imaging (18%).
French doctors, slightly behind in the use of AI
Asked about the use that they or their medical team already have of AI in their daily practice, French doctors seem a little behind in
compared to their European counterparts.
In the results of the same survey in France, French practitioners revealed that they used AI to research pathologies (20%), write document summaries or make interview transcriptions (12%) or still make a diagnosis (11%). One doctor even said he used it to “write exam questions for students”!
The international survey shows that French practitioners are behind the Germans and the Spanish in the use of AI to summarize patients’ medical records before consultation, behind Germany and the United Kingdom, to predict the diagnosis or program timetables. “AI can enormously facilitate the analysis of images and data, accelerate diagnosis, reduce administrative time and improve patient monitoring, particularly with chronic and serious illnesses,” summarized a Parisian oncologist.
Practitioners wait and see on the adoption of AI
European doctors mainly hold the same position towards AI since a majority, whatever their country, (between 50% and 60%) have decided to wait until they have more feedback. before adopting AI. In the six countries studied, a very minority share of doctors categorically refuse to adopt AI.
Furthermore, a majority of European practitioners do not fear that AI will replace their clinical judgment and expertise, with the exception of Portugal where 55% of doctors have this fear (48% in the United Kingdom – 39% in France).
In the survey carried out in France, a rheumatologist from Ile-de-France expressed her fear of a loss of clinical sense and “a replacement of humans by machines”. An apprehension that this diabetologist from Ile-de-France does not share: “AI will free us from additional tasks, but not from our core business, which is patient care, most often essential for correct prescription of treatment. »
Consensus for a specific legal framework in health
Doctors from the majority of countries studied believe that AI will help reduce medical errors (between 47% for Germany and 64% for Italy, with the exception of practitioners in the United Kingdom who fear on the contrary an increase in professional misconduct).
If all countries are confident in respecting data confidentiality, the French are the most worried since 45% of respondents believed that the government and/or learned societies would not be able to guarantee their security within the framework. of AI (38% think the opposite).
Despite the recent adoption of the AI Act which will guarantee supervision of the use of AI in the EU, a very large majority of doctors in all countries are calling for a specific legal framework for AI in medicine (82% in France, 88% in Germany and 93% in Spain) to protect against any risk and control its proper use.
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