40% of Indian clinicians use AI, adoption triples since last year: Report

More than 40 per cent of clinicians in India could be using artificial intelligence technologies for work purposes -- a three-fold increase from 12 per cent since last year, estimates a report.

Published by Elsevier, a Netherlands-based scientific and technical information disseminator which manages journals including 'The Lancet', the report also suggests that India's adoption of AI surpasses global average of 48 per cent, and is ahead of that in the US (36 per cent) and UK (34 per cent).

"India's clinicians are showing remarkable agility and enthusiasm in embracing AI, setting a pace that not only keeps up with but often rivals global leaders," Shanker Kaul, chairman of Elsevier Health in India, said.

Authors of the 'Clinician of the Future 2025' report wrote, "41 per cent of clinicians in India have used AI for work purposes, more than triple (of) last year's figure of 12 per cent."  The country's rate of AI adoption may, however, lags behind that of China (71 per cent) and the Asia Pacific region (56 per cent), according to the report, which surveyed around 2,200 clinicians from across 109 countries, including those in Europe, North America and Latin America (about 275 from India).

Fifty two per cent of the clinicians surveyed in India said they expect most patients to self-diagnose using AI in the near future, compared to the global average of 38 per cent patients doing so, the report said.

The Indian clinicians were also found to "foresee a move towards universal healthcare and health equity in the coming years" -- an objective outlined in the the National Digital Health Blueprint, the authors said.

Launched in 2019, the initiative aims to provide universal health coverage to the citizens of India.

Kaul said, "This strong optimism (of Indian clinicians) creates a tremendous opportunity -- one that can be fully realised with the right investment in comprehensive training of healthcare givers to address digital literacy gaps, especially in rural areas, robust governance and forward-thinking policy action."  The analysis also suggests an increase in 'burnout' with two-thirds of the clinicians in India reporting seeing more patients now than they did two years ago, almost in line with the worldwide rate of 69 per cent.

A high number of patients was found to be the reason most commonly cited by clinicians surveyed around the world for thinking they do not have enough time to deliver quality care.

Further, a fifth of the Indian clinicians were seen considering a change in jobs and expecting to leave healthcare entirely -- globally, about a third were found to think along these lines.

While the clinicians were observed to perceive AI to contribute towards solving problems, relatively few thought institutions are performing well in this regard, with a structured training in AI and lack of comprehensive governance of AI being among the institutional gaps noted.

The authors said the government efforts to expand digital health infrastructure are laudable.

However, clinicians on the frontlines are calling for faster, more focused action to translate policy into practice -- especially in reducing administrative burdens and building trust in AI solutions.

"Our report is a call for government, industry and institutions to unite, amplify the voices of our clinicians and accelerate the digital transformation of the healthcare ecosystem in India," Kaul said.