Indian clinicians trust AI more than global peers, but use it less at work

A report by Elsevier found that Indian clinicians face relatively lower workplace pressures than their global peers, as nearly 79 per cent said they had sufficient time to provide good patient care

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gone mainstream in healthcare, but only 42 per cent of clinicians in India use AI for work, compared with the global average of 49 per cent, according to Elsevier's Clinician of the Future 2026 report.

 

The report, which surveyed 2,757 clinicians—including 692 nurses and 2,065 doctors—from 118 countries, found that Indian clinicians are less likely to consider leaving their jobs and more likely to say they have sufficient time to provide good patient care than their global peers. Only 12 per cent of respondents in India said they were considering leaving their jobs, compared with 24 per cent globally.

 

Trust is higher than the global average

 

Despite AI adoption at work remaining below the global average, Indian clinicians report greater trust in AI tools. The report found that around 43 per cent of respondents in India said they find AI tools trustworthy, compared with 37 per cent globally.

 

Among the nations surveyed, Japan recorded the highest level of trust, at 54 per cent, while the United States recorded the lowest, at just 19 per cent. China followed Japan at 49 per cent, while the UK also ranked among the least trusting at 21 per cent.

 

India scores higher on AI readiness and workplace conditions

 

Indian clinicians also rated their institutions better than the global average on key AI readiness indicators.

 

Around 53 per cent of Indian clinicians said their institutions had good AI governance, compared with the global average of 40 per cent, while 50 per cent gave positive ratings for access to digital tools, against 41 per cent globally. Similarly, 44 per cent said their institutions provided adequate AI training, compared with the global average of 32 per cent.

 

The report also found that Indian clinicians face relatively lower workplace pressures than their global peers. Nearly 79 per cent of Indian clinicians said they had sufficient time to provide good patient care, compared with the global average of 65 per cent.

 

AI adoption gathers pace globally

 

Globally, AI has become an increasingly common part of clinical practice. The report found that 49 per cent of clinicians now use AI tools for work, while half believe the technology is already improving patient care. Among clinicians who use AI for work, 56 per cent said they frequently or always use general-purpose AI tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, while 34 per cent regularly use clinical-specific AI tools, the report stated.

 

It added that doctors primarily use clinical-specific AI tools for clinical decision-making and obtaining second opinions on complex cases, with 25 per cent reporting such use, while 33 per cent of nurses use them for patient care decision support.

 

Looking ahead, clinicians expect AI to play an even bigger role in healthcare. Around 80 per cent of respondents said AI would become a critical assistant in clinical decision-making over the next five to 10 years, while 58 per cent believed clinicians who use AI tools would deliver higher-quality care than those who do not. The report further added that more than half also expect AI to improve patient outcomes over the next two to three years.

 

Need for greater transparency

 

The report said AI is already helping clinicians tackle major challenges such as staff shortages, complex cases and administrative burdens. It added, “As the technology continues to develop, powerful AI tools, especially clinical-specific ones, will address currently unmet needs, becoming an indispensable tool for many more clinicians.”

 

However, the report stressed the need for greater transparency and trust in AI tools, noting that clinicians must know what information the systems are trained on and be able to trust their outputs. "Clinicians are making life-or-death decisions every day, and the tools they use, including AI, need to be unshakeable," it said.