Acceptance of Medical History-Taking Supported by Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots: A Population-Based Survey in...

Background/Objectives: Digital anamnesis tools, including chatbots, are increasingly being developed and evaluated, yet their implementation in German medical practices remains limited. This study examines the acceptance of medical history-taking assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) among the German population. The objective is to derive implications for integrating such systems into digitalization strategies of medical practices. Methods: This study is based on an online survey of the German population, aged between 18 and 74 years, conducted in two independent cross-sectional waves (trend design) in 2024 and 2025 with n = 1000 respondents in each year. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), three hypotheses regarding the use of AI in medical history-taking were developed and tested using linear regression models. Results: Both waves reveal a high acceptance level of AI-supported anamnesis systems for people aged between 18 and 74, regardless of whether a chatbot is used in medical practice (Scenario 1) or at home (Scenario 2). The latter received slightly less approval for the intention to use (mean intention scores: 3.50 and 3.45, range from 1.0 to 5.0) than Scenario 1 (3.59, 3.56). The indices of Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), and perceived Social Influence (SI) determine the intention to use a chatbot with the strongest correlation of the PE index (Scenario 1: ß =0.466, Scenario 2: ß = 0.475). Most respondents (73% and 75%) expressed a favorable opinion for digitally storing medical history data within their electronic health record (EHR). Conclusions: The findings suggest that gender- and age-specific differentiation-aside from considering the needs of older adults-may be less relevant for designing digitalization strategies than previously assumed. Instead, the focus of medical practices should lie on the practicability of the tool used. Despite currently low EHR utilization rates in Germany, medical practices may expect broad patient approval regarding the digital storage of medical history data.