EBSCO Clinical Decisions Report: 4 in 5 Clinicians Trust Evidence-Based AI Tools, While General AI Widens the Patient Trust Gap

New research reveals 80% of clinicians trust evidence-based AI tools, while 54% of consumers say trust decreases with general-purpose AI usage, highlighting evidence as the critical bridge to patient confidence.

IPSWICH, Mass., April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EBSCO Clinical Decisions today announced the release of its latest research report, "The Clinician-Patient Trust Dynamic in the Era of AI-Powered Clinical Decision Support (AI-CDS)." Drawing on surveys of 1,000 U.S. clinicians and 1,000 U.S. consumers, the report identifies a disconnect between clinical readiness and patient confidence regarding AI at the point of care. The findings show that while AI-powered clinical decision support (AI-CDS) is a powerful engine for efficiency — in some cases reclaiming 10+ minutes per patient encounter — this technical gain is only successful if built on a foundation of transparency and validated clinical research. By prioritizing an evidence-based approach to increase patient trust, clinicians can reinvest their reclaimed time and mental energy into what both parties value most: human connection.

"In the rush to embrace technology, we risk losing sight of the individual, including the unique life story and values that each person brings to the exam room. Our research shows many clinicians are drained by hours of manual evidence synthesis each week, which directly competes with the time needed to truly listen to and engage with a patient," said Roy Ziegelstein, MD, MACP, Editor-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer of DynaMed. "By using evidence-based AI-CDS for the data heavy lifting, we don't just gain efficiency; we reclaim the mental space to be fully present. This is how we close the trust gap — by using technology to remove barriers to human connection, ensuring every decision is informed by both the best evidence and the person in front of us."

Evidence-Based AI Increases Trust
The findings identify a notable gap in how clinicians and patients perceive the role of AI in health care. While 89% of clinicians believe AI-CDS will lead to better patient outcomes and higher quality care, 64% of consumers would still prefer to see a professional who does not use AI at all.

However, this skepticism is conditional. The data show a strong preference for evidence-based AI-CDS tools over general-purpose AI platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini:

• 80% of clinicians trust clinical guidance from evidence-based AI-CDS tools.
• 66% of consumers say their trust in a medical recommendation would increase if an evidence-based AI-CDS tool was used.
• Conversely, 54% of consumers say their trust would decrease if a general-purpose AI tool was involved in their care.

Unlike general AI models that draw from unvetted internet data, evidence-based AI is built exclusively on peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines. This provides a level of transparency that allows clinicians to verify every recommendation against its original source, ensuring that technology remains a secondary support to professional judgment.

Reclaiming Time and Energy for Human Connection
Beyond trust, the report quantifies the significant impact AI-CDS has on the clinician's workflow and wellbeing. Currently, 68% of clinicians spend 3–6 hours per week manually searching for, reviewing, and synthesizing clinical evidence at the point of care.

With 85% of clinicians believing AI-CDS speeds up the complete clinical process, the technology effectively mitigates the manual drain by:

• Saving Time: 75% of clinicians save four minutes or more per patient encounter when using AI-CDS, with nearly a quarter saving 10 minutes or more.
• Reducing Cognitive Load: 87% of clinicians agree that AI-CDS frees up mental energy, shifting the focus from data retrieval to clinical reasoning.
• Prioritizing Human Connection: 67% of consumers believe the time saved by AI will make their providers more engaged and better communicators.

To download the full report, click here.

To learn more about EBSCO Clinical Decisions, click here. 

Methodology

The research is based on two December 2025 surveys conducted by Dynata on behalf of EBSCO Clinical Decisions. The first surveyed 1,000 U.S. clinicians (including physicians, nurse practitioners, and other specialists) ages 25–65. The second surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18+. The research distinguishes between two primary forms of AI referenced throughout the surveys:

• Evidence-Based AI-CDS: Specialized tools for healthcare professionals that use AI and machine learning to provide data-driven insights and recommendations. Trained exclusively on peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines, these tools offer traceable, verifiable links to original source evidence to assist in making informed decisions about patient care.
• General-Purpose AI: Open-source, public-facing models (e.g., ChatGPT or Gemini). These are trained on broad, unvetted internet data and lack specific medical guardrails or direct integration with the validated clinical literature required for professional medical use.

About EBSCO Clinical Decisions
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is a leading provider of online research content and cutting-edge search technologies serving libraries, healthcare and medical institutions, corporations, and government agencies worldwide. As an AI-enabled services leader, EBSCO offers comprehensive solutions from research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery services to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. The EBSCO Clinical Decisions suite of products is designed to improve patient care by providing healthcare professionals with the most current, trustworthy, evidence-based answers to clinical questions as they arise at the point of care. Our commitment to AI-driven innovation positions EBSCO at the forefront of the industry, enabling us to meet the evolving needs of the information services landscape. For more information, visit https://more.ebsco.com/Dyna-AI.html.

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SOURCE EBSCO Information Services