Clinicians Enthusiastic About AI but Report Knowledge Gaps

A cross-sectional study published in PLOS Digital Health found that healthcare professionals expressed strong enthusiasm about artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, but reported comparatively limited knowledge and experience with healthcare AI.

The study examined AI readiness among healthcare professionals, with a focus on perceived knowledge, attitudes, institutional readiness, learning preferences, and perceived barriers to adoption. The authors said successful AI implementation depends not only on technological development, but also on healthcare professionals’ understanding of AI capabilities, limitations, and appropriate clinical oversight.

Researchers conducted an online survey of 148 healthcare professionals from 18 countries between September 2024 and January 2025. Most respondents were from Germany, and the mean participant age was 36.7 years. Participants included physicians, nurses, medical residents, medical students, researchers, and healthcare administrators working in clinical, research, or administrative healthcare settings.

The study found a pronounced knowledge-enthusiasm gap. Although 86.5% of respondents agreed that AI will change medical practice and 76.4% said they were excited about AI-related changes in healthcare, only 31.3% reported feeling well informed about AI in general and 20.3% felt well informed about AI in healthcare. Prior experience using AI in medical contexts was reported by 38.6% of participants. Correlation analyses showed strong associations among enthusiasm measures, but weak associations between knowledge and enthusiasm, supporting the authors’ finding of a knowledge-enthusiasm gap.

Reported barriers included lack of knowledge among decision-makers and providers, integration challenges with existing systems, regulatory or legal concerns, limited infrastructure, privacy concerns, and cost or budget constraints. At the institutional level, lack of leadership knowledge was the most frequently cited barrier. The authors noted that the sample was primarily German and weighted toward early- to mid-career, highly educated professionals.

The authors concluded that healthcare professionals, particularly in a German healthcare context, showed substantial enthusiasm for AI adoption but also faced knowledge gaps and institutional barriers. They said AI implementation strategies should address leadership education, infrastructure development, and hands-on training.

Sources: Abedin N, Hahn P, Zeuzem S, Dultz G. Healthcare professionals show high AI enthusiasm but limited knowledge: a cross-sectional study. PLOS Digit Health. 2026;5(6):e0001433. doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0001433