As healthcare grapples with continued staffing shortages and burnout, AI tools have the potential to reduce staff burden—while also improving the patient experience. That's the main takeaway from RevSpring's new survey that sought to understand patient attitudes toward AI in non-clinical healthcare communications.

The "AI Patient Engagement Pulse" is an online survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of RevSpring with 1,113 U.S. patients. It reveals many patients prefer using their healthcare provider's AI tools, such as chatbots and automated phone systems, for common tasks when faced with long phone wait times or if they believe AI could provide faster service than speaking with a staff member by phone.

Key observations from the survey include:

• Preference for AI to Speed Up Service: One in five patients would prefer using AI to speaking to a human by phone for routine tasks like checking balances due, if it resulted in faster services, while nearly one in three (32%) are at least open to the technology (meaning they would either prefer AI or have no preference). Patients more inclined to prefer AI include those ages 35-54 (25%), those with a four-year education (30%), and those earning $80,000 or more per year (27%).

• A Third of Patients Favor AI over Long Phone Wait Times: If patients believed the wait to speak with a staff member on the phone was too long, one third would prefer to use AI to resolve financial questions (e.g., estimated costs, payment options) and appointment-related questions (e.g., scheduling or preparation). In contrast, two thirds of patients would prefer to call back when the wait time might be shorter.

• Willingness to Wait for Human Interaction: Most patients are willing to wait 3-5 minutes on the phone to speak with a staff member for financial and appointment-related concerns, with 37% and 38%, respectively, indicating this timeframe.

RevSpring's recent survey reveals that many patients prefer using AI tools to ease common frustrations, a trend that promises to increase patient self-service and reduce staff burden. However, RevSpring CEO Scott MacKenzie says AI isn't a one-size-fits-all solution as patient preferences vary and the technology may not be suitable for everyone. He emphasizes that it will be critical for healthcare providers to use patient data to tailor their AI strategies.

"At RevSpring, we've long used advanced analytics to optimize patient engagement across various channels. We believe this same approach—using intelligence derived from analytics—is key to successfully implementing AI in healthcare," MacKenzie said. "By understanding individual patient behaviors and preferences, even when not explicitly stated, providers can offer the right technologies to the right patients, creating personalized experiences that build trust and improve outcomes."