Older adults' perceptions of artificial intelligence in healthcare: an exploratory quantitative analysis

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve healthcare outcomes. There is limited literature regarding older adults' perceptions on the application of AI. We explored older adults' perceptions of current communication, AI's role in healthcare delivery, and AI's use for various functions with and without clinician supervision.

As part of a larger mixed-methods study, we recruited older adults 65 and older (N = 753) to complete a 32-item survey with 5-point Likert scale and checkbox (yes-no) questions. The data were analyzed quantitatively.

A total of 87% of participants agree or strongly agree current communication with their doctor's office is good. Three factors emerged from exploratory factor analysis examining AI's role in healthcare delivery: perceived usefulness of AI (Cronbach's α = .84), AI as administrative aid (α = .84), and AI as independent agent (α = .56). Older adults were more comfortable with AI used under the supervision of a clinician rather than without supervision for diagnosis (75% vs 5%, p < .001), treatment (76% vs 5%, p < .001), medication management (74% vs 17%, p < .001), scheduling (77% vs 64%, p < .001), prescription refills (81% vs 54%, p < .001), patient portal messages (55% vs 20%, p < .001).

Findings underscore a cautious optimism among respondents toward AI in healthcare contingent on clinician oversight and patient notification. Continued survey development measuring older adults' perceptions of AI will be beneficial in this context.