Most patients won't endorse AI medical responses without a clinician's review, study finds

by Columbia University Irving Medical Center

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In a Columbia University School of Nursing study surveying 1,185 U.S.-based adults about AI use in secure medical portals, 63% of patients said they would not endorse AI-generated medical responses without a clinician's review. This suggests that while patients see value in using AI for certain health care tasks, they prefer a human review when medical advice is involved. The study, "Public Perceptions of Timeliness for AI Use and Human Oversight," was published in the JAMA Network Open on Oct. 14, 2026.

Researchers found that patients' preferences differed by task. Most respondents preferred fast AI-generated responses for logistical requests such as appointment scheduling and prescription refills (57%). However, two-thirds of participants said they would rather wait up to 48 hours for a doctor or nurse to review and edit an AI response to medical questions.

The researchers also examined attitudes around mental health support using AI. Participants said they most likely would use a licensed human therapist, even with a three-month wait (64%). Acceptance declined for a therapist-monitored AI chatbot available within one month (50%) and an AI-only chatbot available immediately (44%).

"This study showed what we had already assumed but can now back up with data. When people have a medical question, they want to hear from their doctor, not AI, even if AI may give an immediate answer," said Natalie Benda, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor at Columbia Nursing.

"People's opinions differed across characteristics like race, health literacy, gender and experiences of discrimination in medical settings. Notably, individuals who reported having been discriminated against in a medical setting were more open to AI responses to medical questions."

The study highlights the importance of allowing patients to make decisions about how and when AI is used in their medical care. The authors suggest that patients may be more receptive to AI in lower-stakes situations but still expect clinician involvement for higher-stakes medical decisions and guidance.

Other study authors include Uday Suresh, Ph.D., Megan E. Salwei, Ph.D., and Laurie Lovett Novak, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Afra Shamnath, MPH, and Meghan Reading Turchioe, Ph.D., Columbia University School of Nursing; Isabella Buitron, MPH, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; and Xuhai (Orson) Xu, Ph.D., Columbia University Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Publication details

Natalie C. Benda et al., Public Perceptions of Timeliness for AI Use and Human Oversight, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.39048

Journal information: JAMA Network Open

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Psychology & Mental health Provided by Columbia University Irving Medical Center Who's behind this story?

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