A global report from Heidi Health finds that 83% of clinicians began using AI in their practice before their employer had established formal policy, guidance or a recommended tool — a sign that adoption is outrunning governance across healthcare systems worldwide, according to a news release shared with Becker’s.
The report, “Pressure Points: How the Clinical Workforce Is Finding Relief Through AI,” draws on a May 2026 survey of 1,823 clinicians across 25 countries. Documentation ranked as the heaviest administrative burden for 88% of respondents, and that pressure is fueling uptake: 86% of clinicians now use AI daily or several times a week. Adoption is highest among the most seasoned practitioners — 62% of clinicians with 21 or more years of experience use it daily, compared with 51% of those with five or fewer years.
Hallucinations and accuracy risk top clinicians’ concerns at 68%, ahead of patient privacy at 59%, overreliance at 47% and erosion of clinical judgment at 41%. Still, 56% feel confident that AI tools are adequately safe and regulated, and 75% report their patients are open to AI being used in their care.
“The debate about whether clinicians will adopt AI is over. They already have,” said Simon Kos, MD, global chief medical officer at Heidi. Dr. Kos cited the global workforce shortage and rising administrative demands as the core drivers of necessity-based adoption.
Workforce sustainability is an undercurrent throughout the report: 73% of clinicians said AI is helping them sustain a longer career. That finding carries weight against the World Health Organization’s projection of an 11 million health worker shortfall by 2030.
Heidi’s platform supports approximately 2.7 million patient interactions globally each week.
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