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

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.

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

In brief

A Columbia University School of Nursing survey of 1,185 U.S. adults asked about AI use in secure medical portals. Roughly two in three respondents, 63%, said they would not endorse AI-generated medical responses unless a clinician had reviewed them first.

The result suggests that patients accept AI for some health care tasks but expect human oversight when medical advice is involved. The source is brief, so it does not show what drives the preference or which tasks patients consider acceptable for AI.

Main points

  1. The survey included 1,185 U.S.-based adults.
  2. 63% would not endorse AI-generated medical responses without clinician review.
  3. The questions concerned AI use in secure medical portals.
  4. Patients reportedly see value in AI for certain health care tasks.
  5. The study was published in JAMA Network Open on Oct. 14, 2026.

The problem

A majority of surveyed U.S. adults would not endorse AI-generated medical responses in secure portals unless a clinician reviews them, which limits trust in unsupervised AI.

The rundown

The research came from the Columbia University School of Nursing and was titled Public Perceptions of Timeliness for AI Use and Human Oversight. It appeared in JAMA Network Open on Oct. 14, 2026.

Participants were U.S.-based adults, and the questions concerned AI in secure medical portals, where patients and clinicians exchange messages. The reported finding is about endorsement of AI-generated medical responses, not about their accuracy or clinical outcomes.

The authors' interpretation, as relayed in the article, is that patients value AI for some tasks but prefer human review when medical advice is involved.

Sources

  1. JournalismMedical Xpress2026-10-14

The debate