AI is changing how care is delivered today
Jun 11, 2026 | 3 minute read
About the author About the author
Carla Goulart Peron, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer of Royal Philips and leads a global team of medical and scientific experts working across Philips’ businesses. Carla and her team design and implement the company’s medical strategy and provide medical oversight and thought leadership across the company. Their collective role is to help drive meaningful innovation through excellence in medical safety, medical affairs, health economics, and clinical research. A physician with over 15 years of experience in medical device and pharmaceutical industry leadership positions, Carla combines her strong clinical background with executive experience, and a hands-on approach to lead highly engaged teams with a reputation for complex problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. She is passionate about innovating to improve access to care.
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Continue Healthcare systems worldwide face mounting pressure to do more with less. Our 2026 Future Health Index – the largest global survey of its kind – reveals how AI is already addressing these challenges by reducing administrative burden, supporting clinical decisions, and expanding care capacity. The findings show that realizing AI's full potential depends not only on innovation, but on effective integration into care delivery.
Healthcare's AI conversation has shifted from potential to practice. This year’s Future Health Index shows that healthcare professionals are starting to see how AI is already improving care in measurable ways in everyday practice and reshaping how care is delivered. The benefits healthcare professionals report are both practical and meaningful: less administrative burden, more efficient workflows and more time to focus on patient care. This comes at a critical moment, as healthcare systems globally face growing patient demand, workforce shortages and increasing pressure on resources. The real value extends beyond efficiency. When clinicians reclaim time from administrative tasks, they can focus on what matters most – caring for patients and making more informed decisions. Yet realizing AI's full potential requires more than technology alone. Success depends on how effectively AI is integrated into care delivery and scaled to unlock system-wide value and expand access to care. The good news is that we are already beginning to see where that value is emerging.
AI is giving clinicians back their most precious resource: time
As a clinician, I know what it means to divide your attention between the patient, the technology and the information. Administrative tasks, fragmented information, and documentation burden consume hours that could be redirected to clinical thinking and patient care.
That is why one of the most significant findings from this year’s Future Health Index is the impact that AI is already having on workflow efficiency and time. Close to half (46%) of clinicians reported time savings of at least 132 hours annually on average, or the equivalent of more than three full working weeks. Importantly, these gains are translating into something more meaningful than efficiency alone. More than half (56%) of healthcare professionals report that the time saved through AI is leading to more thorough patient interactions, while 65% say it gives them greater capacity to think through cases in detail.
When clinicians reclaim time from administrative burden, they have more time to work at the top of their capabilities more consistently. This matters to patients too, as 81% say they would feel more positive about AI if it gave clinicians more time to focus on clinical work. This is where AI has the potential to make the greatest difference – strengthening and enhancing the relationship between clinician and patient.
When clinicians have better work-life balance, patients will feel the difference
Time savings translate into more than efficiency metrics. Half of the clinicians we surveyed report experiencing less stress and better work-life balance. When clinicians are less burned out and more present, patients experience the difference directly. They notice it in the quality of interactions, the attentiveness during their appointment and the time clinicians have to listen. As a clinician I know how important it is that trust is built on human connection and creating more space for those connections benefits everyone.
Expanding access where it's needed most
Healthcare systems face mounting demand with finite resources. Half of clinicians report that AI has increased their capacity to see more patients, with a median increase of eight additional patients per week globally. More significantly, 75% of clinicians report that AI can help narrow gaps in care quality between different healthcare settings and help provide better care in more rural areas. When specialist expertise and decision-support can reach frontline clinicians in under-resourced communities, we have an opportunity to bring high-quality care closer to more people. While technology alone cannot solve healthcare inequalities, it can play an important role in helping ensure that where a patient lives is less of a barrier to the care they receive and begin to address one of healthcare's greatest inequities.
Strengthening clinical decision-making and supporting safer care
Another area where AI is beginning to demonstrate real value is in supporting clinical decision-making. As healthcare becomes increasingly complex and the volume of available information continues to grow, clinicians need access to real-time data insights and decision support, so they can make better, faster decisions. Our research shows that 39% of clinicians report AI having helped identify or prevent a potential medical error three times or more in the past three months. This shows how AI can act as a ‘second set of eyes’ in high-pressure environments. This collaborative approach is what clinicians themselves demand: 90% say it's essential to keep a human in the loop as AI advances, and 86% say all AI outputs require human oversight. For me, this reinforces an important point: trust, transparency, and clinician involvement aren't nice-to-haves in the hybrid care team model – they are the foundation.
Patients are taking a more active role in their own care
As AI becomes more embedded in healthcare, patients want to better understand the role it plays in their care and health decisions. Our findings show that 89% of patients believe they should be informed when AI is used in their care, a clear signal that transparency builds confidence. When patients understand that AI can help their clinician make better decisions and spend more time with them, their perspective begins to shift. The technology becomes a tool for better care, not an intrusion into the clinical relationship. This reinforces an important point: patients do not expect to understand every aspect of the technology behind their care, but they do expect transparency about how it is being used and how it benefits them.
Moving from isolated solutions to integrated care
This year's Future Health Index shows us that AI is improving care in measurable ways. Increasingly, healthcare professionals are not just discussing what AI could do – they are experiencing its impact in everyday care delivery. The question now is whether we can scale that responsibly. When AI is designed with clinicians and patients at its center – giving clinicians back their time and expertise, supporting safer decisions, expanding access and enabling patients to take an active role – it can help deliver better care for more people. The technology is ready. How healthcare systems integrate and implement AI responsibly will determine whether AI truly transforms care for clinicians, patients and the systems that serve them. I invite you to explore the 2026 Future Health Index for a deeper look at how AI is shaping healthcare around the world.
Download the full 2026 Future Health Index report.
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