WALTHAM, Mass. — Patients and clinicians are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools in health care, but concerns about hallucinations, bias, governance and accountability remain widespread, according to a new Wolters Kluwer Health survey.
The company released its 2026 Future Ready Healthcare Survey Report, titled “Patients, physicians, and nurses on AI: Similar tools, different pathways, one destination.” The survey was conducted in partnership with Ipsos.
The report found that patients and clinicians are turning to AI-generated resources for tasks ranging from symptom checks to support for more complex health decisions. At the same time, both groups said clear guardrails are needed for how AI is used in care.
“The report’s findings expose an important reality bubbling to the surface of the AI conversation: real-world use of AI is rising year-over-year by both patients and clinicians, but it comes with a significant trust gap over mounting concerns around AI hallucinations, bias, and the monetization of personal data,” said Greg Samios, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health. “The pressure is on healthcare leaders now to close the trust gap with visible, organizational governance and trusted content that tackles these worries, while continuing to drive innovative new clinical solutions.”
Among clinicians surveyed, 72% said they were concerned that AI-generated health information sponsored by advertising could introduce bias into care decisions. The report found that 61% of patients shared that concern. Respondents cited potential influence from advertisers such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
The survey also found that awareness of formal AI governance policies remains limited among physicians and nurses. The share of clinicians who said they were aware of such policies at their organizations rose from 21% in 2025 to 27% in 2026.
Another major concern was deskilling, or the risk that overreliance on AI could reduce clinicians’ ability to independently assess inaccuracies or poor recommendations. Wolters Kluwer said 74% of clinicians expressed concern about deskilling, while 53% said AI should be required to show detailed reasoning behind its responses.
Despite those concerns, 77% of clinicians said they double-check AI answers against original sources or trusted databases such as PubMed or UpToDate. The survey also found that 78% of patients want clinicians to verify AI-generated answers.
Hallucinations were another significant issue. Wolters Kluwer said 74% of clinicians cited AI-generated false or fabricated information, including fake medical studies, as a major concern affecting their ability to practice appropriately. At the same time, 73% of clinicians said they were somewhat or very confident in their ability to determine whether an answer was clinically valid without consulting an outside source.
Patients also expressed concern about accountability. The survey found that 75% of patients were concerned about who would be responsible if AI contributed to harm during care.
The report found broad support for human oversight of clinical AI. More than 90% of clinicians and 89% of patients said human experts should validate the sources behind AI-generated health care content used in patient care.
The survey also showed that AI is becoming part of patients’ broader health care experience outside hospitals and clinics. Nearly one-third of patients, or 28%, said AI explains medical information more clearly than traditional health websites, while 19% said AI provides answers to health questions faster than waiting for a clinician’s response.
During appointments, nearly 60% of patients said their clinicians openly engage with AI-generated information. More than half of clinicians, or 56%, said they review AI information brought in by patients and explain whether it aligns with evidence-based clinical resources.
“AI is not just something that healthcare organizations are implementing within the walls of the health system. It’s something that’s shaping the patient journey well before they enter the doctor’s office. That influences the dynamics of clinical decision-making in important ways,” said Peter Bonis, MD, chief medical officer of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The survey found that patients and clinicians remain broadly optimistic about AI’s potential to improve health literacy and engagement. In both groups, 70% said they believe AI can help patients and clinicians better align on how health information is introduced, interpreted and acted upon.
