Philips report frames AI as part of clinical teams

Philips’ 2026 Future Health Index report says AI is moving from individual tools toward a broader role inside clinical teams.

The 11th edition of the report is based on surveys of 2,011 healthcare professionals and 20,085 patients across 10 countries. Surveys were conducted from February to April 2026 by Vitreous World.

Global findings show that 65% of clinicians increased their use of AI tools provided at work over the past year. Close to half of clinicians, 46%, reported time savings of at least 132 hours annually.

In the U.S. report, 49% of clinicians reported at least 132 hours in annual time savings. Philips said 36% of U.S. healthcare professionals reported increased capacity to see more patients, with a median increase of 5 patients per week among those reporting capacity gains.

AI was also linked to safety-related workflow support. Globally, 39% of healthcare professionals said AI helped them identify or prevent a potential medical error at least 3 times in the past 3 months. The figure was 27% among U.S. healthcare professionals.

Imaging appeared in current-use data. The U.S. report said 24% of healthcare professionals use AI to help analyze X-rays or scans, while 9% said AI speeds up X-rays or scans. Other reported uses included clinical-note transcription, work-related idea discussion, appointment scheduling, and patient triage.

The report also described limits around AI autonomy. In the U.S., less than 5% of clinicians said they were comfortable with AI acting independently in most clinical decisions, while 93% said keeping a human in the loop is essential as AI advances.

Training remains a readiness gap. The U.S. report found that 77% of healthcare professionals said AI training at their organization is unavailable, limited, or inconsistent. The global figure was 70%.

“AI is moving from promise to progress,” Philips wrote in the U.S. report foreword.

Philips said the next phase will depend on workflow integration, governance, and operational support. The report also said patients are increasingly arriving at consultations with AI-generated health information, with 67% of U.S. clinicians reporting this pattern.