Current Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools by Emergency Physicians – A National Survey finding in JACEP OPEN
A recent survey highlighted the growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) among emergency medicine (EM) physicians and the need for more structured support to integrate these tools into clinical practice. While AI has the potential to enhance efficiency and patient care, concerns regarding data privacy, bias, and job displacement must be addressed.
The survey highlighted that national organisations, such as the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), may play a pivotal role in providing resources, education, and advocacy to ensure that AI is ethically and effectively incorporated into EM.
This survey study was published in December 2025 in the journal JACEP OPEN
Effectively Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Emergency Medicine Care
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to impact diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making across medical specialities. The authors highlighted that AI applications, from imaging interpretation to predictive analytics and clinical decision support, are expected to address challenges in healthcare delivery. In emergency medicine (EM), machine learning algorithms have been studied to assist in diagnostics and treatment planning. AI tools may play a crucial role in improving patient care.
Study Overview
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess AI tool use by emergency physicians (EPs) in clinical practice, both within and outside institutions, to capture attitudes towards AI in clinical care, and to identify areas that require expanded resources and training. The survey was emailed to all ACEP members and promoted at the 2024 ACEP Scientific Assembly in Las Vegas, which was attended by approximately 6000 EPs. Non-EP attendees could complete the survey, but only EP responses were analyzed. The survey instrument included 32 questions designed to capture information on demographics, clinical use of AI tools, and attitudes towards AI adoption in EM.
Key findings
A total of 658 ACEP physicians responded to the survey.
- Among them, 61% reported using at least some AI tools in their clinical practice. Of these, 31% used tools that were not integrated into their institutions, such as independent electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation (41%) and ChatGPT (63%).
- Additionally, 52% of respondents worked in health systems with AI integration.
- Usage details showed that 22% used AI for clinical decision support, 14% for radiological interpretation, and 18% for ambient documentation.
Attitude towards AI: Table 1 presents the attitude of EM physicians toward AI use
Table 1 Emergency Medicine (EM) Physician Attitudes Toward AI (Key Findings)
| Parameter | Agreement/Concern | Percentage (%) |
| AI will improve clinical efficiency in EM | Agree | 75% |
| AI will enhance ED patient care quality | Agree | 57% |
| AI may reduce EM physician jobs | Concerned | 12% |
| Bias in AI systems | Concerned | 38% |
Abbreviations: AI-Artificial Intelligence, EM-emergency medicine, ED-Emergency department,
Potential Learnings for Stakeholders
Most EM physicians are cautiously adopting AI tools and generally have a positive outlook on how AI can enhance efficiency and quality of care. While most EM physicians expect AI to boost efficiency and improve patient care, concerns remain regarding job displacement, data privacy, and algorithmic bias. Inconsistent institutional policies and limited training may be likely contributors to the varied use of AI tools in emergency settings.
Reference: Shy BD, Baloescu C, Faustino IV, et al. Early Insights Among Emergency Medicine Physicians on Artificial Intelligence: A National, Convenience-sample Survey of the American College of Emergency Physicians. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2025;7(1):100308. Published 2025 Dec 26. doi:10.1016/j.acepjo.2025.100308
