EBSCO Clinical Decisions has released a report ‘The Clinician-Patient Trust Dynamic in the Era of AI-Powered Clinical Decision Support (AI-CDS),’ based on surveys of 1,000 United States clinicians and 1,000 consumers conducted in December 2025.
The findings show that 80% of clinicians trust evidence-based artificial intelligence tools, while 54% of consumers report decreased trust when general-purpose AI is used in healthcare settings. The data indicates a gap between clinician adoption and patient confidence.
The report distinguishes between evidence-based AI tools, which rely on peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines, and general-purpose AI models trained on broader, unverified data sources. Consumers showed greater confidence in recommendations supported by evidence-based systems, with 66% indicating increased trust under those conditions.
In terms of workflow impact, 68% of clinicians reported spending three to six hours per week reviewing clinical evidence. The use of AI-powered clinical decision support tools was associated with time savings, with 75% of clinicians reporting at least four minutes saved per patient encounter and some reporting savings of 10 minutes or more.
Additionally, 87% of clinicians indicated that these tools reduce cognitive load, allowing greater focus on clinical reasoning. From the patient perspective, 67% of respondents stated that time saved through AI use could improve provider engagement and communication. The report suggests that transparency and reliance on validated evidence are key factors in building trust in AI-assisted healthcare.
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